After splitting a double header with Springfield College and defeating Worcester Polytechnic Institute 7-1, the Amherst women’s softball team opened its NESCAC season by edging Wesleyan University 4-1. Following the initial victory, the Jeffs split doubleheaders with both Wesleyan and Hamilton College to move to 12-5 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
The first game against Wesleyan featured two teams who savor any conference win they can earn. The Cardinals struck first, scoring two runs in the first inning and putting the pressure on Amherst to respond. Down 3-0 in the second, the Jeffs finally got on the board when sophomore centerfielder Jackie Tyler hit a triple to tie up the contest. Wesleyan regained the lead in the third but Amherst fought back, scoring three more runs in the fifth to give the Jeffs a two run victory. Both senior outfielder Julia Cummings and junior infielder Emily Neill had two hits.
The Jeffs didn’t fare as well in the second contest, losing by a narrow margin of 5-4. Despite excellent hitting by Neil, first-year shortstop Carly Dudzik and senior pitcher Maddie Tamagni, the Jeffs could not hold on for the win, allowing three Wesleyan runs in the seventh inning.
The team is working on the mental side of its game, said rookie catcher Steph Clegg. “The chemistry on the team is still really positive, but splitting our double headers is creating lots of frustration. We know we have a lot of potential, but not being able to play two complete games will really hurt us in the long run. Our skills are definitely there, we just need to improve our mental toughness and continue playing strong defense, and things will start going our way.”
After poor weather delayed their match-ups with Hamilton, the Jeffs finally faced off with the Continentals in a doubleheader on Sunday. Once again Amherst looked strong in the first game, with sophomore pitcher Alex Chang-Graham allowing only one run while Dudzik and Tyler recorded two hits and one run each. But the Jeffs seemed to lose focus in the second game and were unable to string hits together, losing 4-1.
“The key to playing a double header is remaining mentally and physically focused throughout the entire duration of play,” said Clegg. “With softball, succeeding in doing this is very difficult. We are constantly running in and out of the dugout and it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus. We didn’t make any errors in both games today, yet we weren’t mentally and emotionally ready to play. We need to keep up the enthusiasm and focus despite our fatigue.”
Though the Amherst team must work on its ability to maintain high energy and focus throughout multiple games, the players look much more confident than last season. Not only is the team making fewer errors but, by being aggressive at the plate, they are hitting more efficiently as well.
Tyler is optimistic about the rest of the season. “Every game, a different player steps up and makes a clutch play on the field. The pitching has continued to be solid, and one of biggest improvements from last year is our ability to string hits together and produce runs. Additionally, our team cohesiveness has been a defining factor is our success thus far, and will hopefully carry us into the NESCAC tournament.”
The Jeffs face Western New England College in a home doubleheader tonight before taking on NESCAC foe Trinity College in a non-conference doubleheader in Hartford on Saturday.