Softball ends break at 5-5

Author: Kellan Florio

The Middlebury women's softball team split their first 10 decisions of the 2005 season while in south Florida. At 5-5, the Panthers find themselves in the same position they were in last year when they went on a 19-3 run to close out the season, marking the best record in Panther softball history.

Middlebury opened their season in Cape Coral, Fla. with a thrilling 3-2 come from behind win over Union College. Finding themselves down 2-0 heading into the top of the fifth, the Panthers scored three runs over the next two innings. Junior Lauren Battaglia fueled the rally going 2 for 2 with two doubles and an RBI. Captain Megan McCarthy '05 also had a solid day on the mound giving up just two earned runs over seven innings, striking out four and walking none. In the second half of their doubleheader, the women faced eighth ranked Babson College in a dramatic 8-4 loss. Trailing by two heading into the bottom of the seventh, Middlebury scrapped for two runs to send the game into extra innings, however their defensive miscues would add up as Babson scored four runs in the top of the eighth.

The tides turned the following day against Lawrence University as the Panthers' perfect fielding performance helped McCarthy secure a complete game shutout for her second victory of the season. Colleen Sullivan '07 singled in Kathryn Hurd '06 in the top of the fourth for the Panthers' lone run. Middlebury dropped to 2-2 with a 5-3 loss in against the University of Wisconsin Whitewater in another showdown. The Panthers knotted the score at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth only to give them back in the top of the seventh. Maura Casey '07 had a solid day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double and all three of the Panthers' RBIs.

Day three saw the Panthers trade a win for a loss with a 4-1 win over Plymouth State University before falling 3-0 to Trinity College. McCarthy was dominant on the mound, going the distance for her third victory of the season, surrendering just four hits and no earned runs while striking out a school record ten batters. Guza, Hurd and Christine Grimaldi '08 all went 2 for 3 to lead the Panthers at the plate.

Two days later, the Panther women displayed their penchant for the dramatic once again, rallying for a 2-1 victory in nine innings over Bethel University. After a scoreless seven innings, Bethel got on the board first, only to see the Panthers answer back in the bottom half of the inning when Guza singled in Sullivan to send it to the ninth. Lauren Battaglia '06 sealed the victory in the bottom of the ninth, singling in Katelyn Cannella '08. The story of the day, however, was McCarthy who held the Bethel hitters at bay for the entire nine innings, giving up no earned runs on just five hits, one walk and another school record 15 strikeouts. The Panthers exploded for eight in the second half of their doubleheader in an 8-2 victory over Edgewood College. Grimaldi, McCarthy, Sullivan and Battaglia provided the offense going a combined 8 for 15 with 6 runs scores and 6 RBI. Brittany Burke '08 went the distance to pick up her first career win as a Panther.

The Panthers would lose their bats just as quickly as they found them, however, as both Bowdoin and Colby silenced Middlebury over the next two games. Bowdoin topped the Panthers 1-0 as McCarthy was out dueled on the mound by NESCAC Player of the Week Emily Nelson who held the Panthers to just two hits over seven innings.

After playing Colby even for the first four innings, the White Mules finally broke through for four runs over the final three innings. Sophomore Jennifer Williams suffered her third loss of the season on the mound despite giving up only two earned runs and striking out six.

"This Spring Break trip was a great learning experience for all of us and I think that if we make a few defensive adjustments and really break out the bats, we can beat any team," commented McCarthy who now boasts a 0.75 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched this season. "We've got a lot of talent and a drive to win. I'm confident we'll come together and remain a dominant team in NESCAC."