The College of Wooster softball team split with one of the top teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference on Saturday, taking game one from Denison University, 3-2, while dropping game two, 4-0.
In game one, first-year Jillian Meszaros had one of her best outings of the year, throwing the complete game and tying a season-high of six strikeouts.
Her only blemish was a two-run fifth which started when she walked a batter with one out. That halted a streak of retiring seven in a row.
From there, a wild pitch and a pair of doubles would tie the game at 2-2 before Meszaros hunkered down to strikeout the final two batters of the inning.
Wooster's top of the lineup fueled the offense as junior Cate Barkdoll got the scoring started with a line drive of a home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the second.
It was Barkdoll's team-high fifth home run of the year.
Barkdoll also recorded the team's second run on a groundout to second base in the fourth. Emma Hetkey led the inning off reaching on an error. The junior got into position to score with a stolen base and a single from Julia Jennings.
Later in the sixth, Jennings pulled through to give Wooster the lead for good with a double to left field. She scored Meszaros who led off the inning with a double of her own.
Denison (22-11, 10-2 NCAC) threatened in the seventh by getting the leadoff batter on and moving her over to third, but Meszaros kept the ball in the infield as the final batter popped up to Lynnsey Delio at first base.
Game two was a bit quieter for the Scots offense with just four hits off Denison starter Sydney Silverstein who pitched a complete game shutout. Meszaros had two of those hits, while Jennings and Katie Mommers had the other two.
Starter Tori Conner lasted just three innings. She was hurt by some bad luck with balls put into play just out of reach of fielders. Meszaros pitched the final fouor innings, allowing just one earned run.
Two batters proved difficult to get out as Annabelle Calderon went 4-for-4 with a double and Jacqui Abogado went 2-3 with three RBI. The duo collected six of Denison's nine hits and all the team's four RBI.
Wooster moves to 12-20 overall and 2-8 in the NCAC with the split. The Scots travel to Kenyon College on Sunday for another NCAC doubleheader.
