The women’s softball team opened Patriot League play with a back-to-back double-header series against Army to record a sweep for the entire weekend. Colgate didn’t let the Black Knights score at all the first day, winning the first game 4-0 and the second 2-0. On day two, Army was able to improve their play but not secure the wins, and the day ended with two Raider victories, 5-3 and 7-4

Rachel LeCoq, the star freshman pitcher recorded her first collegiate shutout in Satur­day’s game when she threw for seven innings and only allowed four hits. Colgate scored two runs in the first inning and one in the second, followed by another in the seventh to secure the win. Junior Jennifer Orgeta was an­other key player in the game, supporting the team with her third homer of the season and two RBIs.

Sophomore pitcher Courtney O’Connell took the mound in the second game and pitched another seven scoreless innings, only allowing four hits while striking out six. The Raiders, for their part, scored early on in the second inning to tally the first run of the game. Sophomore Alana Dyson was a key hitter in the game.

Army came back determined to take a game on day two of the series and took an early lead of three runs over Colgate. The Raiders responded with two runs in the fourth inning after sopho­more Natalie Siedhof hit a single and Army marked a wild pitch to bring the score to 3-2. Colgate tallied two more in the fifth when Sied­hof hit a homer to give the Raiders the lead. The Raiders insured the win with a triple by Dyson to bring home Lacy Ver Steeq.

LeCoq pitched her ninth complete game of the season and picked up her eight win. She gave up six hits and struck out nine.

In the second game, the Raiders were the team with the early 3-0 lead and added a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to com­plete the sweep over Army. O’Connell pitched seven innings in the game and allowed only eight hits, earning a run herself.

Colgate will be back on the field on Saturday, April 9 at home at 12 noon.