Wilmington and Wittenberg split a non-conference doubleheader at the WC Softball Complex Thursday afternoon.

The Quakers took game one, 9-5, and the Tigers won the nightcap, 9-5.

Christine Tiell (Tiffin/Columbian) and Erika Lee (Blanchester) delivered two-run hits as Wilmington (10-6) scored five times in the first inning of the opener.

"We did an excellent job of taking control of the game right off the bat," Wilmington head coach Beth Floyd said. "That first inning really set the tone for the rest of the game."

Kelsey Becker (Clarksville, Ind.) gave Wilmington a 7-1 lead with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.

Wittenberg (5-12) tried to close the gap, but Wilmington answered the Tigers' scoring frames with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Lee, Tiell and Stacy Lunsford (Wilmington/Clinton-Massie) had two hits apiece. Wilmington finished with 10 total hits.

Kylie Ford (South Vienna/Northeastern) went 4 innings to pick up her sixth win in nine decisions. Catlin Shilling (Waverly) pitched three innings en route to earning her first save of the season.

Game two carried a similar story line, but in a different direction.

Wittenberg scored three runs in the first and three more in the second inning to take a 6-1 lead. Three more runs in the third inning pushed the Tigers up, 9-2.

Wilmington tried to rally back. Danielle Monnier (Houston) doubled home a run in the fifth. Tiell and Becker chased runs home with hits in the sixth to pull the Quakers within 9-5.

Wittenberg, though, escaped further damage to pick up the win.

"The kids fought real hard. I was very pleased with their effort," Floyd said. "They never gave up. Our biggest problem was not getting key hits with runners in scoring position. Leaving 11 runners on base really hurt us."

Becker led the Quakers with three hits, including her fourth double of the season. Brooke Byrne (Wilmington) belted her first career home run in the first inning.

Shilling again was solid in relief, throwing 3.1 no-hit innings with seven strikeouts.

"Catlin was outstanding today," Floyd said. "She had good command of her pitches and good ball movement."

The Quakers will travel to Alliance on Saturday to face Mount Union in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader.