The softball team opened its 2009 season with three straight victories and has amassed an overall record of 7-2, showing they know how to win. The Jeffs just missed the NESCAC tournament last season, falling to Williams College in their final game despite beating the Ephs twice earlier in the season. The Jeffs’ trip to Arizona last week gave the players renewed confidence and highlighted the potential of this young team.

“Keeping the team chemistry and unity that we developed while we were in Arizona will be key to the team’s success this season,” said rookie shortstop Carly Dudzik. “The support from fellow teammates really helps, and I think it will be important throughout the season.”

Key returners for the Jeffs include junior centerfielder Jackie Tyler who earned first team All-NESCAC and All-Region honors last season and batted .451 on the year and Alex Chang-Graham who led the NESCAC with an era of 1.65 while batting .302 on the season.

The Jeffs kicked off their spring break trip with a 7-2 win over Augsburg College and then defeated UW-Platteville by one run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Amherst rebounded from an eight-run loss by winning four out of its next five games before returning to Amherst.

“We did a great job of coming out strong on the first day. Beating UW-Plattsville in the bottom of the seventh gave us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the week. We kept up the intensity throughout the week and it really paid off. We also hit really well as a team. We attacked the ball and everyone looked confident at the plate,” said Dudzik.

Tyler has started where she left off, batting .472 in the first nine games. Also hitting well are Dudzik (.457) and junior infielder Emily Neill (.440). Chang-Graham, pitching 40 out of 58 innings, has an impressive ERA of 1.05 and has struck out 27 batters.

Despite the strong start, the Jeffs must continue to focus on the small plays and to reduce the number of errors they make. The competitive nature of the NESCAC means that every error hurts and every stellar play counts.

“Though we did a good job of keeping each other focused, there were some physical errors that can be fixed in practice. But I think the team did a great job of picking players up when there was an error, which helped us stay in the game and bounce back,” said Dudzik.

The Jeffs have two more pre-conference match-ups before they face off against Wesleyan University in their conference debut. The team will continue to focus on poise both on defense and at the plate and hopes to begin the regular season on a high note.