Tiger Women's Softball: Season opens with excitement, two wins in doubleheader

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A week after their first games of the year were canceled against Maryville College (7-7), the Tigers' bats came alive against Webster University in a doubleheader on Saturday.

DePauw (2-0) hit three home runs in the two games including senior Emma Minx hitting a grand slam in the fourth inning of the first game to pull the Tigers to a 7-1 victory. In game two, sophomore Amy Hallett and junior Rachel MacBeth both hit solo home runs to lead the Tigers to a 7-0 victory.

"The team was very excited to finally be playing on Saturday," said head coach Bonnie Skrenta. "The chemistry is at a great place and skill-wise, we have some things to work on, but it's great to have two victories."

Sophomore Emily Bichler took the pitcher's mound in both games for the Tigers, pitching six innings in each game while striking out nine total batters and giving up no runs. While Bichler is the only player on DePauw's roster listed as a pitcher, Skrenta handed the ball to freshman Megan Landahl to finish off the games in the seventh innings.

"Her numbers show exactly what she did," Skrenta said of Bichler. "She went to a full count a few times and won the battles and only had a few hard-hit balls against her."

In Landahl's collegiate debut, she gave up a home run facing her first batter for Webster's only run of the doubleheader, but didn't give up another run for that game or her second appearance in game two.

"We all just wanted to get her nerves out and I think that did the trick," Skrenta said. "She gave up that first home run but was able to face the next batters with a lot of success."

Bichler and Landahl have big shoes to fill as the only players who graduated last year were three-time all-American pitcher Meg Soultz and back-up Kristen Barrow. Bichler was used sparingly as she appeared in just seven games and started two of them, earning a 2.47 era over 17 innings while striking out 17 for a 2-0 record.

Bichler and her catcher Amy Hallett will continue to work together to improve on strategy against different hitters and strive to locate each pitch with consistency.

"I got ahead in the count for most of the game, and I had a great time working with Amy," said Bichler. "These games gave me a lot of confidence as we head into our games over spring break."

The key for the Tigers this season will be to capitalize on their veteran offense and get on the scoreboard early to support Bichler and Landahl. The entire batting order from last year's seventh-place finish in the NCAA Div. III tournament returned and, according to Skrenta, is already coming into form early in the season.

"We need just more live at-bats with umpires and that will help everyone with seeing different pitchers and pitches," Skrenta said. "To see two girls who can put it out of the park with Amy and Emma find their stroke early, hopefully we can keep them healthy. It was very nice to see them strong." 

On Wednesday, the Tigers look to build on their season's early successes when they travel to Manchester College (4-0) for another doubleheader.