After a 9-6-1 start to the season over spring break, the softball team hoped to progress past its inconsistent start. However, the team has experienced more of the same, and currently sits at third place in the NESCAC East with a 4-5 divisional record and 14-13-2 record overall. The team has only three divisional games left to hopefully overtake Trinity (3-3 divisional record) and claim one of the top two spots in the division that make the playoffs.
The team’s first game back was a hard fought 7-5 loss against the three-time defending national champions, Tufts. The team went on to face Bates in a three game series at home.
In the first game of the Bates series, the team faced a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning. Katie Gately ’16 was able to get the ball rolling with a single, followed by another from Claire McCarthy ’18. With two runners on base, Marisa O’Toole ’17 stepped up to the plate and drove both runners home with a triple. Bates was able to tie the score and push extra innings, but in the bottom of the eighth Lauren O’Shea ’18 knocked a hit over the Bates shortstop to drive in O’Toole for the win.
After the late inning heroics, the Polar Bears went on to sweep the series by winning both games of the doubleheader the following day. The offense was led by Gately, who tallied a double in game one and three hits, leading to all three RBIs, in game two.
Bowdoin then returned to Tufts to complete the three game series against the Jumbos, starting off with a doubleheader in Medford. Despite a great effort, the Tufts offense proved to be too much. The Polar Bears gave up 11 runs in each game, resulting in two losses and a series sweep.
Doubleheaders in general provide an opportunity to play a lot of softball, but it is very difficult to maintain tenacity and focus for two long games in one day.
“A doubleheader gives you a lot of opportunity to play, but we still approach each pitch one at a time,” said Julia Geaumont ’16.
Despite the losses to Tufts, the team is still confident in their ability to take down the powerhouse program if given the opportunity to play them again.
“Tufts is the team to beat,” said Geaumont. “They are amazing offensively but not unbeatable. Tufts is just a team that won’t back down.”
The team was determined to bounce back after the tough losses to Tufts, and managed to rally against the University of Southern Maine (USM) in a doubleheader on April 13. Looking as if they might drop another game, the Polar Bears found themselves down by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. With the final out on the line, McCarthy stepped up again with an RBI double to shift momentum back to the Bowdoin side. Next up was Samantha Valdivia ’19, who knocked in the final two runs of the game and finished the late-game rally for the Polar Bears. Geaumont earned the win on the mound and had two doubles in the game.
In the second game, USM came back with a vengeance, scoring two quick runs in the first to jump to a quick lead. After tying the score, Bowdoin let up three runs in the bottom of the final inning, and once again looked to their clutch offense to get the job done. The Polar Bears proved up to the challenge, as Jordan Gowdy ’18 and Ali Miller ’18 got on base with back-to-back singles. After a double from Caroline Rice ’19, Geaumont followed up on her strong game one performance and knocked a double and two RBIs to tie the game and allow the Polar Bears to escape unbeaten on the day.
Because only two teams make the playoffs, the team’s only remaining conference matchup against Trinity on April 29 and 30 will be decide whether they make the postseason. The team will most likely have to win all three games against the Bantams.
“It speaks to our team that we never back down and keep fighting until the end,” said Geaumont. “We push it when it’s late. We will push it until the end just like we do during the final innings… We want to play to our best ability and leave it all on the field.”