The Colgate softball team began a week of tough games on Wednesday, April 14 against Siena in Loudonville, New York before traveling to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania to take on Bucknell last weekend. Colgate lost both games in Wednesday’s double-header and went 1-3 over the weekend. The team was swept by Binghamton last night, 8-5 and 8-1.

In each game against Siena, the Raiders recorded only one run, falling 6-1 and 8-1. That morning, sophomore Michelle Hollebeke pitched a complete game, giving up all six runs on seven hits.

Colgate collected three errors during the game, one by first-year Alana Dyson and two by captain and sophomore Jennifer Ortega. Dyson, Ortega and sophomore Stephanie Hartquist each produced one of Colgate’s three hits.

In the second game, Lacy Ver Steeg began the contest for the Raiders, facing only the first three hitters and giving up three runs before relinquishing the ball to first-year Courtney O’Connell.

Again the Raiders tallied three hits, all of them from the three top spots in the lineup, senior Melissa Babb-Renta, Dyson and Hartquist.

On Saturday against Bucknell, the Raiders lost both games in the double header. The first game was decided in the bottom of the eighth whenBucknell secured a comeback victory over the Raiders, 3-2.

In the top of the first, with Dyson and Hartquist on base, Ortega struck a single up the middle, scoring Dyson. Although Bucknell leveled the score in the sixth, Colgate regained a one run lead in the top of the eighth.

The Bison, however, took the win with two runs in the bottom of the inning. O’Connell worked for 7.1 innings and fell to 4-3, striking out four along the way.

The second game of the day was also decided in the late innings with Bucknell taking the win, claiming a final score of 13-3. Colgate’s three runs came on three hits by Babb-Renta, Dyson and Hartquist, and were all scored during the

third inning.

Bucknell came back from a one-run deficit in the fifth, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Colgate turned things around on Sunday morning, winning the first game 8-5. Dyson drove in three runs in the game, a season high, and Hartquist continued to extend her hitting streak.

The team tallied 14 total hits in the game as eight of the nine batters recorded at least one hit. The Raiders secured the lead with a three-run bottom of the first, and added to their lead with two more runs in the second and another in the third.

Finishing the game off with two more runs in the sixth, Colgate played a commanding game. O’Connell earned the win after seven full innings of work, giving up seven hits.

Later that day, the Raiders again found themselves down, losing 9-5 in extra innings. Although Colgate tied the game at four in the third and drew ahead with a one run lead in the sixth, Bucknell tied the game in the top of the seventh and scored four in the eighth to win.

Hartquist again extended her hitting streak, stretching it to 23 games. O’Connell pitched another complete game, which contributed to her record of 5-4.

The team will be back in action this weekend as Colgate hosts Army, again playing at Eaton Street Field. The doubleheaders will take place on Saturday and Sunday.