There are must-win games. And there are must-win games. Friday's doubleheader against Williams would fall into the latter category. To advance to the NESCAC playoffs, the Jeffs needed to sweep the Ephs on the road. That was asking a lot of the Amherst team and especially rookie pitcher Miya Warner '06. Maybe too much. In a pair of closely contested games, Williams staged a come-from-behind 3-2 victory in the opener and then pulled off the sweep with a 3-0 win. Amherst fell to 4-4 in NESCAC West Division play with the losses, three games behind frontrunner Williams (7-1) and two behind second-place Middlebury College (6-2). The losses removed the Jeffs from the NESCAC playoff hunt.

In the first game, Amherst staked itself to a 2-0 lead in the third and fourth innings. First-year center fielder Rachel Hoerger walked with one out in the third. Then, rookie catcher Kate Raddock '06 grounded into a fielder's choice before co-captain senior second baseman Emily Melia doubled to score Raddock, giving the Jeffs a 1-0 advantage.

In the fourth, third baseman Jess Allen '04 walked with one out and then advanced on a single by Warner. Laura Trigeiro '06 doubled in Allen to put the Jeffs on the board once again. Trigeiro had four hits to bring her batting average to .427, tied for fourth in the league.

Warner was perfect through three innings, but Williams broke through in the fourth. A one-out triple followed by a single put the Ephs on the board, and they scored again after an error on a foul pop fly. Warner extricated herself from a second-and-third, one-out jam by inducing a pop fly and a grounder to the shortstop to end the threat, putting the score at 2-2. The tie was short-lived, however. Williams scored an unearned run in the fifth after a series of defensive misfortunes. Amherst could muster no offense after Williams took the lead, and despite giving up only one earned run, Warner fell to 12-8 with the loss.

The Jeffs' offensive struggle persisted in the nightcap, as they managed only six hits without scoring any runs, while the Ephs managed three. Amherst had its best opportunity to score in the top of the second, with the bases loaded and Trigeiro at the plate. This time, though, she grounded out to second, ending any Jeff threat. Amherst lost 3-0.

The Jeffs looked to rebound Monday against non-league opponent Mt. Holyoke College, but an unearned run in the second inning, coupled with Amherst's continued poor offensive play, was more than enough to offset Warner (12-10, 1.35 ERA). The rookie dominated in the loss with seven strikeouts and four hits allowed, as the Lyons won 1-0.

Though the end of the season has proved disappointing for the Jeffs, they are looking for strong performances in their final two games of the season against Springfield College this afternoon. The doubleheader at home marks the conclusion of the Amherst softball careers of seniors Melia, co-captain shortstop Missy Mordy and outfielder Tamara Baer. The end of the season will be saddening for the seniors, but it will also "motivate us to play harder," said Mordy.

According to early indicators, 2004 looks bright for the Jeffs. "We have a strong group of freshmen," said Allen, "and with a year of experience under their belts we can only go up."