Tricolor Falls in Battle of the Bergs

It was the Battle of the Bergs when Heidelberg College and Wittenberg University faced off at Mayer Field in Tiffin, Ohio. Wittenberg emerged victorious and swept the Tricolor in the doubleheader, 9-8 and 4-1. Heidelberg falls to 2-12 on the season, while the Tigers rise to 14-6.

The first game saw Heidelberg jump out to an early lead, thanks to a passed ball by the catcher that allowed lead off batter Coree Price (Prospect, Ohio / North Union) to cross the plate. Price originally got on base due to a fielding error by the shortstop. The Tricolor went on to lit up the scoreboard in the third with four more unanswered runs to place them ahead 5-0. The Tigers finally scored two in the top of the fourth, followed by five in the fifth and two more in the sixth while the base paths remained fairly quiet for Heidelberg. The Tricolor attempted a comeback in the seventh, but fell one run short of tying the Tigers after successfully driving in three runs.

Katie Allenspach (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) took the loss on the mound for Heidelberg. She struck out two and walked one out of the 34 batters she faced.

The second started off just like the first with Heidelberg scoring first in the first inning. Jerrica Sweetnich (Garfield Heights, Ohio / Garfield Heights) reached first on a throwing error by the Wittenberg’s shortstop and was driven into home by a single up the middle by Ashley Foust (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora). The Tigers answered back right away, however, with two runs in the top of the second and never relinquished the lead again. They went onto score one run in both the fourth and fifth innings.

After only allowing only four hits and striking out three of the 36 batters that came to the plate, Nicole Bachman (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Memorial) suffered the loss for Heidelberg on the mound.

Altogether, first baseman Andrea Gerdeman (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf) led the team once again in put outs with 15, while Price, at shortstop, along with Foust at third and Dessiree Burtch (Prospect, Ohio / Elgin) at second racked up five assists apiece. Price also led the team offensively by recording three hits at the plate and scoring three runs which tied Foust for a team-high. Gerdeman also topped the team with three runs batted in.

Heidelberg resumes Ohio Athletic Conference play when it suits up on Tuesday, April 1, to play Ohio Northern University in a doubleheader at home. The first pitch will be thrown at 3 p.m.