This past weekend, the Colgate softball team went 1-1 as it played its first Patriot League games of the season at Leadership Park against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, competing in two games of a three game series on Sunday. The Raiders fell to Lehigh 1-9 in the first game on Sunday, but came back out and won the second game of the day 8-1. The team was unable to continue its momentum and fell once again to the Mountain Hawks with a final score of 1-3. 

The series opener started with a scoreless inning followed by a Mountain Hawk lead in the bottom of the second. Lehigh was able to get an early 0-4 lead off an RBI single and three-run triples. In the following frame the Mountain Hawks added two more runs and another run in the fourth to widen their lead, 0-7. The Raiders only had two hits in the first five innings. 

In the sixth inning, sophomore infielder Cayman Coughlin scored a two-out walk and senior third baseman Holly Geranen hit an RBI double to right field, putting Colgate on the board. Lehigh then used a two-run single to finish the game 1-9. The early Mountain Hawk lead made it hard for the Raiders to crawl back; however, the Raiders were able to come back in the second game. 

In the second game of the day, Colgate bounced back. Both the Mountain Hawks and the Raiders were scoreless for the first two innings. In the top of the third, sophomore, outfielder Blake Brackett scored off of a one out throwing error. Sophomore catcher Virginia Irby then hit an RBI to the right field fence and shortly after scored the second run of the inning. Junior middle infielder Meghan Romero and sophomore outfielder Jordan Miller both had two run doubles to bring the Raiders to 6-0 through over two frames. The Raiders also put up single runs in the fifth and seventh inning to steal the game. Miller hit another RBI double in the fifth inning bringing the Raiders’ lead to 7-0. The Mountain Hawks were hitless until the top of the fifth inning. Lehigh eventually scored one run in bottom of the seventh. 

First-year pitcher Bella Crow had an incredible performance and picked up her first career victory, while Colgate was able build an early lead by putting up six runs in the third inning. Miller also had an impressive performance, leading the Raiders with three RBIs in the second game of the day.

“Bella started off slow in the beginning of the season and picked it up towards the end of spring break. I think she surprised a lot of people and she was really resilient today,” head coach Marissa Lamison-Myers said. 

“In the second game, we came back and fought and played like we knew we could. We’re excited to come out and do it again tomorrow,” Brackett said.

On Monday, the Raiders took on the Mountain Hawks for the final game of the series. Despite the team’s best efforts, they fell to the home team and defending Patriot League champions. This game moved Colgate’s overall record to 4-20, while their Patriot League record moved to 1-2.

Next weekend, the Raiders will make their homefield debut at Eaton Street Field, where they will host Binghamton in a Saturday doubleheader. The first game will begin at noon.

Contact Lexi Luthringer at [email protected].