Softball Wins in Lucky 13th vs. Bates

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

In what turned out to be a wild weekend in Maine, the Middlebury women's softball team posted a dramatic extra inning win and a hard fought loss against Bates College. The split now puts the Panthers at 4-9 overall with a 2-4 record in NESCAC play. However, due to two losses at the end of March to Amherst, Middlebury remains 0-2 in the NESCAC West Division from which it would earn a post-season birth if it were to qualify.

The first game was a classic as the finish went down to the wire and the game was ultimately pushed into extra innings. Rookie pitcher Megan McCarthy '05 continued her exceptional play by picking up a well-deserved win. She now ranks eighth in NESCAC in earned run average (ERA) giving up just 2.04 runs per game.

Senior Amanda Bohnsack was the offensive hero for the Panthers in the weekend's games, going 4-11 with two home runs, a double, three runs scored and four runs batted in (RBI). In the first game she doubled home what would come to be the tying run while scoring the winning run on a fielder's choice. After eighth and ninth innings in which the teams traded runs, Bohnsack's run in the 13th signified a well-earned 7-6 victory.

In game two Lauren Bowe '04 took the mound looking to complete the sweep of the Bobcats. She was given early run support thanks to Bohnsack who blasted a two-run homer in the first inning. In the fourth Bates got to Bowe for five runs. In the top of the fifth, Bohnsack scorched another home run to cut the Bates lead to two. Later in the inning in a crucial situation, Bowe helped her own cause with a clutch two run single to tie the game.

However in the bottom of the inning the seesaw nature of the game continued as the Bobcats struck for three runs followed by another two in the sixth. Middlebury could only add a run in the sixth to make the final 10-6 Bates.

The next test for the Panthers will be Norwich at home on Thursday. Over the weekend the team will be afforded a key opportunity to make up some ground in the NESCAC West as it travels to face Williams.