Last year, the Colby women’s softball team had a historic season, going 24-12 and finishing as the fourth seed in the NESCAC Championship. Heading into the postseason, the Mules started strong, beating Bowdoin 5-4. Unfortunately, their next match was against Tufts, the top seed. The game ended with a 12-4 scoreline, halting the Mule’s advancement to the semi-finals.
The Mules, led by head coach Terren Allen, hope to finish the season strong to win the NESCAC Championship. The Mules’ season, which began on March 14th against Thomas College, has been mixed thus far. The Mules have an 11-11 record against mostly non-NESCAC competition.
This past weekend, the Mules faced back-to-back doubleheaders against Wesleyan University and Trinity College. The Mules first headed to Hartford, Connecticut, to play Trinity College, which has a 16-9 record and is one of the best in the NESCAC.
The day’s first match saw the Mules score their first run in the fourth inning, which started with Ayston Asadoorian receiving a walk to first base, followed by a steal to second base. Chloe Wilcox’s subsequent double to center field allowed Asadoorian to score. However, with Trinity’s two-run lead from scoring three runs in the second inning, the Mules couldn’t get back on the front foot. The Mules lost the first game 3-7, with four hits to Trinity’s seven.
The second game of the day started with the Mules on the front foot after a home run to right field by Chloe Wilcox, two subsequent walks, and a double by Ella Wilcox to left field, scoring an additional run. By the end of the inning, the Mules had scored three total runs; however, Trinity followed up on the Mules’ lead at the bottom of the inning to score four runs. The following inning saw a back-and-forth match between Trinity and Colby, with Colby taking the lead. In the last inning, at the top of the 8th, the Mules scored another run to secure the win against Trinity. Abby Orso of the Mules pitched all eight innings with 117 pitches and three strikeouts.
The doubleheader concluded with both teams trying for a 1-1 record. The following day, the Mules stayed in Connecticut to face Wesleyan University. Heading into the game, the Mules faced a strong Wesylean team, fielding an 11-15 record and 4-8 in the conference.
Mules started the first inning with a single to left field by Carissa Cassidy, who then stole second. Chloe Wilcox grounded out, squandering the Mules’ chance to lead the game with no outs and a man on second base. Both teams were evenly matched, continuing in limbo with no runs scored until the bottom of the second, where Wesylean scored two runs. With the Mules in a cold streak of no hits, the fourth inning saw Ella Wilcox butting to catch the Cardinals off balance. Despite these efforts, the Mules failed to materialize any promising chances till the seventh inning, where they scored off a single by Kiley to right field, allowing a run to score. With the Cardinals scoring three, the game ended in the seventh inning, which saw Abby Orso pitch a complete game with 100 pitches and two strikeouts.
The second game saw the Mules start strong with a run scored in the first inning due to a single, a steal by Cassidy, and a C. Wilcox fly out to left field. The Mules kept their lead until the third inning, which saw the Cardinals get into a rhythm and score three runs. During the fifth and sixth innings, the Mules could clinch an additional run to score three. Despite the Mules keeping up with the Cardinals’s production with eight hits to their 10, the Mules needed to be more clinical, leading to the Mules losing the game 3-7. The Mules ended the weekend with a 1-3 record against NESCAC rivals Wesleyan and Trinity. The Mules are set to play Maine rival Bowdoin on Tuesday, April 23rd.
~ Darin Gildea `27
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