Softball Continues to Build on Improved Play
Raiders Split Series Against Cornell, Fall Against BU
The Colgate Women’s Softball team faced Cornell in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 8, at Niemand-Robison Softball Field in Ithaca, NY. The Raiders ended the day with a split, which puts them at a 17-18 record on the season. Sophomore pitcher Bella Crow was a key player for the Raiders, pitching a complete game shutout to bounce back from a tough 10-7 loss earlier in the day and finished the day with win versus of Cornell 6-0.
The first inning went scoreless, but Cornell came out strong in the second and went on an eight-run score when they capitalized on a high- by-pitch with bases loaded. This started a stretch of seven straight batters reaching base safely and they jumped head 8-0. Colgate responded well and the batters broke out for three runs in the fourth. First-year infielder Morgan Farrah hit a home run followed by junior outfielder Jordan Miller hitting an RBI double down the left field line to score junior catcher Virginia Irby from first. Next, sophomore outfielder Mia Guevarra scored Miller on a groundout up the middle. These key plays put Colgate within five with the score now 8-3.
Cornell continued to stay ahead and increased the lead to 10-3 in the seventh. However, the Raiders never let up and continued fighting to get themselves back in the game. In Colgate’s last at-bats, they scored four runs after Miller got a two-out RBI. Despite getting close, they could not pull out a win and fell 10-7.
The Raiders came out ready for revenge in game two. Crow threw her second shutout of the season, striking out six and scattering five hits with one walk over seven innings. Then, Colgate went on a two-out rally in the second and secured the lead for the rest of the game. Key players included Guevarra who advanced to second, and then scored when junior utility Cayman Coughlin scored a home run on a single up the middle. Irby also produced for the Raiders, scoring in the third inning and getting another run in the fifth. Colgate had a strong performance from many players allowing them to come out with a split on the doubleheader, ending the day on a high note.
Colgate continued working throughout the week following Cornell to prepare for their doubleheader against Boston University (BU) on Saturday, April 13. Unfortunately, the Raiders were 0-2 on the day, falling 8-0 and 7-0 against a talented BU team. The Terriers challenged the Raiders with a strong pitching performance in both games.
Colgate had some strong opportunities throughout the game but was unable to convert. Farrah had a one-out walk and Irby hit a strong single to get runners on the corners. However, BU sophomore Ali Dubois pitched an inning-ending strikeout to prevent the Raiders from gaining any momentum. Despite having trouble converting, the Raiders stayed in the game for a while, holding the Terriers to 2-0 until they broke away and scored on six runs in the bottom of the fourth. These trends continued into the second game and Colgate was unable to convert again after facing a strong pitching performance from Dubois.
Despite having a tough two games, the Raiders are proud of the battle and fight they put up and currently have a record of 17-21, which is nearly two times the amount of wins the team had last year. Their next home game is on Saturday, April 20 against Holy Cross at noon.
Contact Kate Kelly at [email protected].
