BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College softball team split a pair of games today (Saturday, March 21, 2009), losing to Emory (Ga.) University, 4-1, and then shutting out host Maryville College, 2-0, on the first day of the Maryville College Classic in Maryville, Tennessee.
The Yellow Jackets are now 8-4 overall and are back in action in Maryville tomorrow (March 22) when they play Spalding (Ky.) University at 9:30 a.m. and Emory at 11:30 a.m.
Against Emory, B-W fell behind 1-0 in the top of the second inning and 3-0 when it scored two more in the third. Emory added an insurance run in the fifth for a 4-0 advantage. B-W scored once in the bottom of the seventh inning to avoid the shutout.
Offensively, B-W came up with just three hits, including two from junior outfielder Chelsea Saunders (Medina/ Highland). Freshman pitcher/ designated player Sarah Baker (Mentor/ Lake Catholic) also had a hit.
On the mound, sophomore Mackenzie Rohrbacher (Sandusky/ Senior), despite pitching a complete game, allowed 10 hits and struck out four batters. All four runs she gave up were earned as she fell to 3-2 overall this season.
In its victory versus Maryville, B-W opened a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and added another run in the third. That would be all the offense the Yellow Jackets needed as solid pitching and defense shut Maryville out.
Offensively, the Jackets were paced by another three hits in four at-bats from Saunders, who also scored a run. Sophomore All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Division III All-Central Region catcher Tanya Davis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) had two hits to go with two runs batted-in.
On the mound, Baker improved to 4-2 and earned her second shutout of the season. She gave up just three hits and struck out four.
After 12 contests, junior outfield Mallory Kobak (Independence) tops the team in hitting at .585 (23-of-43) and Davis is hitting .512 (21-of-41) with a team-leading 17 runs scored, six doubles and is second with 24 RBI. Baker's 2.08 earned run average, 40.1 innings pitched and .242 opponent's batting average are tops. Rohrbacher leads with 27 strikeouts.
Following its games versus Spalding and Emory, B-W returns to Berea and opens its 2009 home schedule by hosting traditional non-league rival Ohio Wesleyan University in a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 24 at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field in Berea at 3:30 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at (440) 826-2327 and via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at (440) 826-2780 and via e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Tom Spencer, please call him at (440) 826-3988 in his office and e-mail him at tspencer@bw.edu. More information may be accessed on the B-W athletics page at www.bw.edu/athletics.
