Softball looking strong as playoffs loom large Women split doubleheader with Amherst to land in NESCAC tournament

Author: Kellan Florio

After starting the season 7-7, the Middlebury softball team found their stride and has now won 11 of their last 12 contests, holding their opponents to less than three runs in each of those 12 games. Last week, the Panthers went 5-1, sweeping Green Mountain College, Skidmore College and splitting a pair with Amherst College to improve their record to 18-8 (6-2) on the season. With the split against Amherst, Middlebury clinched their third consecutive NESCAC tournament bid.

Sophomore sensation Jen Williams (7-4) started Middlebury's week off on the right foot as she fired her first career no-hitter in a 1-0 win in the first leg of the doubleheader against Green Mountain College last Tuesday. Williams walked the second batter of the match to spoil her chance for a perfect game, but the ensuing batter lined into a double play, allowing Williams to face the minimum number of batters through her seven innings of work.

Williams finished the game with a career-high 12 strikeouts, placing her second on Middlebury's all time single game strikeout list behind Megan McCarthy '05 who struck out 15 against Bethel University over spring break earlier this year. Middlebury's lone run came in the bottom of the fourth when rookie Carolyn Davis '08 singled to left, scoring Christine Grimaldi '07 from second who had started the rally with a leadoff walk.

"The most important thing as a pitcher was to keep my focus against every batter and to throw my game, knowing my defense was there to back me up and keep them from scoring," commented Williams. "Batts (Lauren Battaglia '06) called a great game, mixing up a lot of screwballs, curves and riseballs."

"Every pitcher puts pressure on herself in that situation," continued Williams. "But having confidence in your team is key, because then you don't have to worry about what's going on in the field because you know that whatever comes they'll handle it."

Defense would not be an issue in the second game, however, as the Panthers' bats awoke in a big way pounding a pair of helpless Green Mountain pitchers for eight runs in the first inning alone, and finishing with 18 runs on 14 hits in five innings in an 18-0 rout. Eleven different Panthers registered a hit, while all but one hitter managed to reach base safely. Katelyn Cannella '08, Lauren Guza '05 and Christine Grimaldi '06 paced the Panthers with two hits apiece, while Kathryn Hurd '06 drove in three runs. Amidst the Panthers' hitting assault, first-year Brittany Burke (5-2) enjoyed an excellent outing on the mound as she surrendered only two hits while walking none and striking out six over five innings.

Middlebury continued their dominance two days later, taking two more games from visiting Skidmore College to stretch their winning streak to 10 games, tying a school record set last year. After sitting out the last two weeks with tendonitis, senior Co-captain Megan McCarthy returned to action on Thursday in triumphant fashion. McCarthy started game one by striking out the side in the top of the first and was flawless again in the second inning before being relieved by Williams. The Panthers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as they rallied for two runs with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Battaglia doubled in Grimaldi for the first run and later scored on a single by Ellen Sargent '07. Skidmore would even the score at two in the top of the fourth, but the Panthers quickly regained the lead in the fifth on Battaglia's second RBI double of the game. Skidmore had a chance to tie in the top of the seventh with two on and none out, but Williams settled down to retire the next three batters she faced to secure the 3-2 victory.

In the second leg of the doubleheader, Middlebury exploded once again for another run-rule truncated blowout, this time a 10-1 rout highlighted by an eight-run second inning. Burke was solid once again on the mound, as she scattered five hits over five innings of work while giving up just one earned run. Sargent led the Panthers at the plate going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and one run scored.

Needing a split with Amherst to clinch a place in the NESCAC tournament, Middlebury rallied behind McCarthy to get the job done in dramatic fashion last Friday. Game one pitted McCarthy against Amherst's Miya Warner, who was leading the NESCAC with a 0.78 ERA and a 10-3 record going into the match. The pitcher's duel lived up to its expectations as neither team managed to post a run through the first eight innings.

Both teams had their chances as Middlebury stranded runners in scoring positions in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings. Amherst's best chance came in the top of the sixth when they had the bases loaded with two outs. McCarthy escaped the jam by getting Kelly King to pop out to end the inning.

"The first game was pretty intense and one of the most pressure-filled games I've pitched this season," acknowledged McCarthy. "The sixth inning definitely epitomized that sort of pressure. But I forced myself to remain steady and focused and I just worked the batter. Susan Miranowski called a great game and we were able to get out of the inning unscathed."

Amherst finally broke into the scoring column with an unearned run in the top of the ninth and had to withstand a tenacious Panther effort in the bottom of the ninth to hold on for the 1-0 win. In the ninth, Battaglia's sacrifice bunt advanced Grimaldi to third base after she had been placed on second to start the inning. With one out and Grimaldi on third, Sargent stepped up to the plate with a chance to tie the game, but the Amherst defense proved equal to the task. Grimaldi tried to score on Sargent's groundout to shortstop, however the throw to the plate from the first baseman came in plenty of time to catch Grimaldi at home to end the game.

"I was definitely out, but it was a close play," admitted Grimaldi. "There was only one out so I didn't have to go, but because it was so late in the game and they were up by one, I decided that the aggressive route was the best."

McCarthy finished the game giving up only four hits and no earned runs over nine innings, while walking three and striking out five. She also became Middlebury's all-time leader in innings pitched, surpassing the old mark of 301.1 innings.

"We were all pretty upset by the loss in the first game, but we didn't give up," said McCarthy. "We used that energy to pick up the intensity in the second game."

Middlebury had their work cut out for them in game two as Amherst's Warner returned to the mound to start the game, while McCarthy returned to the hill for the Panthers. After struggling to record only two hits off Warner in game one, the Panther jumped on her early in game two, notching two hits, a walk, and a run in the first inning. Battaglia's two-out single advanced Grimaldi to second after she reached on a fielder's choice, and another two-out single by Sargent plated Grimaldi. Grimaldi and Sargent fueled the rally again in the third as they each collected base hits to start the inning. Colleen Sullivan '07 drove in her 12th run of the season as her groundout to second base scored Grimaldi from third to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

That would be all McCarthy would need, as she rolled through the final three innings after giving up an unearned run in the top of the fourth to secure the 2-1 victory. McCarthy held the opposing hitters to just three hits and no earned runs over seven innings while walking one and striking out two. McCarthy's efforts on Friday earned her another place in the record books as her two complete games made her Middlebury's all-time leader in complete games with 28. McCarthy already owns the career records for strikeouts, wins, and ERA.

Susan Miranowski '07 and Sargent paced the Panther hitters with a pair of singles apiece, while Sargent and Sullivan each drove in one run.

"It was great to have Mac (Megan McCarthy) back on the mo
und," noted Sargent. "The first one was tough, it's always hard losing in extra innings, but our goal was to clinch a berth in the NESCAC tournament, and we did that. Although we didn't sweep, we still played two solid games."

"After pitching nine innings in the first game my arm was getting pretty tired," admitted McCarthy. "But after being injured for two and a half weeks there was no way I was taking myself out of the game. I just made sure that because my speed wasn't as fast, I had to put a lot of spin on the ball and really hit my spots."

"Winning that second game was such an incredible feeling," continued McCarthy. "Yes, we made a few errors but we picked each other up and that's the great thing about this team. No single person can win a game. We really played with a lot of heart and left it all on the field; we were smart on the base paths, we executed runs, and we secured the win."

Middlebury will travel to Tufts on Friday for the first round of the NESCAC Championship.