Ezra Sunshine

Despite being one of the smallest varsity sports teams at Bowdoin, softball (23-10, 5-4 NESCAC) has continued to gain momentum over its spring season as players look forward to this Saturday’s home game at Pickard Field and the NESCAC championships, beginning the first weekend in May.

With just 13 members on its roster, the team has faced considerable struggles this season, including the loss of six talented seniors from last season and a prolonged winter that prevented it from playing on its home field. Weather conditions have permitted for only one home game thus far, forcing the team to make adjustments to play at Bates’ and Colby’s fields instead.

“We had our first games on fields before we even practiced on the field,” said Karlye Pallotta ’22. “It’s kind of funny because everybody talks about home team advantage …  We’re honestly more accustomed to adapting to unfavorable circumstances and rising above that.”

Head Coach Ryan Sullivan commended his team’s ability to push through this season’s unfortunate circumstances.

“It’s been a very strange spring and very frustrating all at the same time,” said Sullivan. “I really have to hand it to this group; they’ve handled the adversity that’s been in front of them really, really well.”

The Polar Bears have been especially successful of late. Since April 11, they have won ten straight, defeating Colby (4-25, 0-9 NESCAC), Wesleyan (12-18, 1-8 NESCAC) and the University of New England (21-14) among other competitors. In one game against Saint Joseph’s College (10-17), the Polar Bears hit four home runs in a 15-1 route.

The team will play what will most likely be its last home game on Pickard Field this Saturday as a part of a three-game series against rival Bates (13-17, 4-4 NESCAC). This game has the chance to impact the seeds of both teams when they enter the NESCAC championships in early May.

“The beauty of having your in-state rival is that those games are always going to be competitive and close,” said Sullivan.

After making it to the NESCAC Championship finals last year, the players are confident that they will show up with a renewed sense of energy and drive to showcase their skills.

“It’s inspiring to see how far we can come when everybody does their part and contributes,” said Pallotta. “We have a lot of talent on the team, but just making sure that everybody’s in sync will really make a huge impact.”