Last week, Raider’s softball took home their first triple-game series win of the season. The Raiders went up against the Army Black Knights, who had not lost a Patriot League season game until facing the Raiders last Wednesday. 

The Raiders confidently stole the win early on in game one. The Raiders never let the Black Knights take the lead and finished with an impressive five runs to their one.   

Sophomore Katie Bushee led the Raiders in points, bringing home two runs out of her three at-bats of the game. 

Colgate Junior Bridget Ieuter pitched the entire game, only letting up four hits and one run. Ieuter is a critical asset for the Raiders in the circle and at the plate. Ieuter often transitions from pitcher to batter in the same game or across series games.

“My experience in both positions helps me in the other. When I’m pitching, I can better handle batters because I know how they might be thinking in certain situations. And as a batter, I feel more confident facing opposing pitchers, given my insight as a pitcher,” Ieuter said. 

Game two was the more nerve-wracking game of Wednesday’s double-header. Colgate took the lead in the first inning but Army fought back to tie it up 1-1 in the bottom of the third. The Raiders took the lead by one run once again in the top of the fifth but the Black Knights responded quickly and tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth. 

The two teams battled through four more innings without any runs to put then game into extra innings. Finally, in the top of the tenth, first-year Holly Geranen hit a home run and the Black Knights were unable to respond. 

In Thursday’s game the Raiders were able to wrap up the series against Army with a flawless 3-0 record. Despite being down early on in game three, the Raiders secured the win in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three crucial runs to take the lead and finish one run ahead of the Black Knights with a final score of 5-4. 

Sophomore Gillian Murray reflected on the critical runs scored in the top of the sixth.

“Once someone shows some leadership offensively, it becomes a very contagious environment and we are able to score more than one run,” Murray said. 

Murray was a generous contributor to Colgate’s three wins. She added two runs and one RBI to the scoreboard out of four at-bats. 

Following a successful series last week, the Raiders hold high hopes for the remainder of the Patriot League season. The Raiders now hold an impressive record of 5-1 in the Patriot League and hope to add to their Patriot League winning streak this Saturday against Lafayette. 

“We worked really hard in the off-season and we are excited to see all of our dedication paying off now,” Ieuter said. 

Colgate is the second ranked team in the Patriot League in terms of batting average and remains in the mix to clench the top seed in the Patriot League after regular season. Six out of the Raiders’ remaining eight series are schedule to be held at their Eaton Street home field. 

The Raiders have eighteen games remaining and have their hearts set on a prosperous season. Murray is optimistic for the season.

“Our goofy and relaxed atmosphere in the dugout is what makes us successful,” Murray said.