By Eddie Young
Managing Editor
The College’s softball team went 2-2 in their opening weekend, winning two games against No. 18 Swarthmore and losing two to No. 25 Salisbury in their Maryland trip. The performances by the Lions led to them sweeping the New Jersey Athletic Conference awards for the week, with freshman infielder Emily Evans winning Player of the Week, junior pitcher Maya Knasiak winning Pitcher of the Week, freshman infielder Morgan Leonhauser winning Rookie of the Week and freshman pitcher Emily Gill winning Rookie Pitcher of the week.
The season started for the College with a doubleheader on Feb. 28, with the Lions facing up against Swarthmore in the first game. The Lions made quick work to get out ahead offensively, stringing together hits in the fourth inning, taking a 2-0 lead on RBIs from sophomore catcher Grace Brouillard and junior infielder Amelia Santos.
Knasiak got the opening day start for the Lions, and the junior had a nice performance throughout the first four innings. However, some trouble in the fifth led to her getting pulled for Gill, and Swarthmore tied the game at two apiece.
Swarthmore eventually took hold of the lead in the top of seventh inning, and the Lions were unable to claim it back in the bottom half, ultimately giving Swarthmore a 4-2 victory.
The College only had an hour of downtime before they had to turn around and face Salisbury for their second matchup of the day. Senior southpaw Elizabeth Gosse rocked the circle for the Lions in this matchup, controlling every aspect of the game from the first inning to the seventh. She threw a complete game shutout in only 59 pitches, allowing just five hits and one walk.
A two-RBI double in the sixth inning from senior first baseman Camryn Kitchin added great insurance for the Lions, and they took home a 3-0 victory in their second matchup of the day.
The Lions were ready to run it back the following day with another doubleheader against the same two opponents. Sophomore pitcher Saraih Llano took the bump for the College in the opening game against Swarthmore, giving up one early run but settling in nicely after that.
Brouillard reaching on an error in the top of the fifth gave the Lions the run they needed to tie the game at one, but Swarthmore got to work quickly in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs, running Llano from the game for Gosse and going up 4-1.
The College responded likewise in the top of the sixth, loading the bases and causing havoc for the Garnet, and with the help of Gill and Evans, tying the game back up at four.
However, an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth from Swarthmore would be the final time anyone crossed home plate in this one, and the Lions would go on to lose the opening leg of their second doubleheader 5-4.
Knasiak made her second start in two days in the back half of the doubleheader, and in this one, she shut down Salisbury, going all seven innings, giving up three hits and one earned run, adding seven strikeouts.
A big fourth inning gave the Lions a 4-0 lead, with freshman centerfielder Brooke Hamaty hitting a bases loaded double to get her first two career RBIs. Evans followed in suit in the following at bat, also hitting a two-RBI double.
Salisbury fought back, scoring one run in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, but that would be all for them, and the Lions would hold on to win 4-2.
The College will head to Raleigh, North Carolina, to play four games in the Grand Slam Triangle Classic before going to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to play 10 games in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.
