Wooster Softball Sees Early Mixed Results

Angie Barone

Through the first seven games of the 2002 season, all of which were played in Orlando, Fla., the College of Wooster softball team has produced varying results. Wooster started with a doubleheader split versus Western New England College (7-4, 2-3) on Sunday (March 10), was then swept by Emerson College (4-8, 2-8) on Monday (March 11), earned another split against Bridgewater State College (4-3, 4-6) on Tuesday (March 12), and lost a single game on March 14 to the University of Minnesota at Crookston (2-4).

The Scots opened things up with a dominating win against Western New England, scoring four in the second inning and three in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead en route to the three-run margin. Leading the way in that one was Angie Barone, the 2001 North Coast Athletic Conference's Newcomer of the Year, who struck out nine and gave up just one hit over the first six. Offensively, four Wooster batters registered multiple hits led by Kirsten Lucas, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs batted in.

In the nightcap, the Scots tied the game at 1-1 in the second and at 2-2 in the sixth only to see the Golden Bears, who went 22-9 last season, score one in the final frame. Despite the loss, Nicole Fedell pitched well in her first collegiate game on the mound, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out seven, while Lindsay Vargo paced the Wooster offense with a 2-for-2, RBI performance.

Day two on the trip wasn't as kind to the Scots, as they committed 11 errors, including eight in the opener versus Emerson that led to eight unearned runs credited to hurler Nell Schieber. Abby Petrullo, who currently is batting .381 (8-21), had a double for Wooster and plated a pair of runs. The Lions came out swinging in game two, scoring three times in the second and four in the third, while Lucas provided the bright spot in the loss with two more base knocks.

Tuesday saw the Scots earn a split against a tough Bridgewater State squad, which compiled a record of 34-12-1 in 2001. After the Bears tied it at two in the top of the fifth of the first game, Wooster took advantage of an error to plate two of its own in the bottom of the sixth and then held off a Bridgewater State rally in the seventh for the victory. Barone started and pitched well again, but Fedell was credited with the win in relief, while Kerri Horst was the offensive star with a single and two doubles, two runs scored and another driven in.

Game two was one that got away for the Scots, as the Bears came back from a 4-0 deficit, scoring two in the third and four in the fifth. Kady Krivos and Sarah Moorhouse each went 2-for-4 in the loss, while a Vargo double plated two of Wooster's runs.

Wooster grabbed an early lead on Thursday, but couldn't hang on as Minn.-Crookston came back from a 2-0 hole by scoring single tallies in the third and fourth and plating two runs in the fifth for the win. Fedell got the start and was the victim of two unearned runs, while Barone struck out the side in the sixth. Maggie Combs had her best offensive output to date, going 2-for-4 from the plate.

The Scots (2-5) have seven more games scheduled at Disney's Wonderful World of Sports complex, starting with a double-dip against the College of St. Rose on Friday (March 15).