After the softball team was swept by conference rival Tufts last weekend, Bowdoin split two games against Husson before coming home to finish its weekend with two wins against Thomas College.
On Monday, the Polar Bears came away with 8-0 and 9-1 victories against Thomas at home, bringing their record to 15-8. Toni DaCampo '13 went 5-7 at the plate and had four RBI on the day, while the team tallied 26 hits over 11 innings.
Captain Caroline Dewar '12 said that celebrating the home opener gave Bowdoin the energy it needed to sweep the doubleheader.
"I think finally having a home series was instrumental in our sweep of Thomas," said Dewar. "We also were coming off a couple of big losses and everyone knew it was important to solidly beat a team that we should beat."
Dewar said that the Polar Bears took notes after their defeats and amended their game plan before facing Thomas.
"Keeping our offense going and fixing the little things that hurt us against Tufts and Husson allowed us to win both games against Thomas," she said.
Last Friday, Tufts shut Bowdoin out 8-0 after reigning NESCAC Rookie of the Year and home run leader Jo Clair hit two home runs. Polar Bear ace Melissa DellaTorre '14 was hit hard, allowing five earned runs in four innings. Dewar had a bunt single in the fourth inning for Bowdoin's only hit.
The games were closer on Saturday, but Tufts' offense overpowered the Polar Bears and the Jumbos won by scores of 9-7 and 12-9. DaCampo and captain Amy Hackett '12 contributed homers for Bowdoin in the losses.
"Tufts was a very good team," said Head Coach Ryan Sullivan. "So while it was disappointing to drop all three games, the ability to battle on Saturday in the doubleheader was very impressive for our team."
Dewar felt that Bowdoin made some minor mistakes that let Tufts pull away for the wins.
"There were a couple of little things that we did wrong that hurt us and in such high scoring, close games those little things matter a lot," she said. "Little mental lapses or [being] less than focused at bat end up having a huge effect on the outcome of the game."
On Sunday, Bowdoin kept Husson off the board in the first game with a 6-0 victory before losing in the second half of the doubleheader. The Polar Bears recorded 16 hits in game one, including a triple and home run by Hackett, while DellaTorre allowed just three singles in the circle. In the second game, Casey Correa '14 and Hanna Wurgaft '14 added homers.
The team's offense stayed consistent over the week, scoring 6.29 runs per game and hitting for a .350 average.
"We swung the bats really well in all the games," said Sullivan. "The uncharacteristic part was a few defensive lapses in the loss, but overall this year we have been very steady in that department."
Bowdoin had five errors against Tufts, while the Jumbos had none.
"On several fronts, we played well, but they were a little better," Sullivan added. "They have a veteran team and know how to close games. Every time we made a run at them, they [countered]. I look at this as less about us and more that they played really well."
The team has the weekend off before playing the University of Southern Maine and Trinity next week.
"We have some well-deserved time off and will be able to catch up on some nagging injuries, so the rest will be good," said Sullivan. "We will revisit some fundamentals and sharpen up for the stretch run."