After a season of ups and downs for the softball team, two emphatic wins over Husson College has put the squad back on track. On Tuesday, the Polar Bears mercy-ruled the Eagles in the first game, then eased to a 7-1 victory in the second game. The Bears improve to 15-15 overall and 3-3 in the NESCAC.
The game remained close in the first game until the fourth inning, when Bowdoin exploded for eight runs. The Polar Bears added seven more runs in the fifth to make the game 18-3. The game was subsequently called because of the 15-run lead.
The offensive juggernaut was led by senior Danielle Chagnon, who went five for five, scored twice, and drove in five RBIs. First-year Emma Powers was also perfect at the plate, going four for four with two RBIs. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit.
First-year Karen Reni was solid on the mound, allowing only five hits and two earned runs over five innings. She struck out five batters.
"We hit the ball very well in both games, got runners on the base path," Powers said. "This is exactly what we needed to boost our confidence and get us pumped for the league games ahead of us."
The second game of the doubleheader featured another lopsided game. Bowdoin scored five runs in the first two innings and it appeared that the Polar Bears might mercy rule the Eagles yet again. But the Eagles' pitching settled down and they held the Bears to only two runs the over the next five innings.
Brittany Ogden '08 put forth a solid effort on the mound in the second game, scattering 11 hits over seven innings. She struck out six and allowed only one earned run in the bottom of the seventh.
The squad has won five straight and boasts a strong 10-4 record for the month of April. The Polar Bears appear to be in good shape for the playoffs with a second-place ranking in the NESCAC East.
The Polar Bears will play Brandeis today at home in a doubleheader and will challenge Wesleyan on Saturday. The softball team will face Bates on Tuesday in an important NESCAC doubleheader.
"The Bates game will be key in deciding whether or not we make it to the NESCAC tournament," Powers said. "If we hit well and field flawlessly, we'll be fine. If we beat Bates, we should have a very good shot at making it to the tournament."