The softball team played its final innings of 2014 with a doubleheader against Trinity on Saturday, April 26, capping off an up-and-down year. Playing in honor of their matriculating teammates, the Cardinals fell to their intrastate rivals of the NESCAC East in both games, finishing the year with an overall record of 10-22.
Su Pardo ’16, the team’s healthiest and most consistent starting pitcher over the course of the season, took to the mound for Wesleyan in the first of the two games. She delivered an admirable performance in a game that would prove to be a fierce pitchers’ duel.
Both offenses were shut out through the first two innings, but Trinity got on the board in the top of the third inning when an error by third baseman Jill Gately ’15 turned a leadoff triple to extend into what was effectively a home run. Pardo regained control and promptly returned the next three batters to the home dugout in order. However, in a game where runs were scarce, this one proved costly.
Both offenses were again silenced until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Wesleyan hitters struck back. Amanda Roosa ’16 reached on an error and advanced to second on an ensuing passed ball, setting the stage for Captain Alex Sarkowsky’s ’14 RBI double. The next three hitters went down in order, but the game was knotted at 1-1.
Trinity picked up another run in the top of the final inning. After Pardo allowed a leadoff double, Trinity advanced its base runner to third with a sacrifice bunt, and she eventually scored on a sac fly.
Wesleyan put two runners on in the seventh, but couldn’t plate them. Pardo allowed just one earned run and three hits over her 7.0 innings pitched, and the defense played solidly behind her, but the Cardinals were unable to put anything together offensively.
Roosa mounted the hill for Wesleyan to start the back end of the doubleheader. If the first game could be characterized as a highly defensive pitcher’s duel, the second was quite the opposite.
The teams exchanged early blows in the first: Trinity scored a single run on two hits in the top of the inning, and the Cardinals matched their two runs on three hits during their half. However, things got out of hand in the top of the second.
Roosa loaded the bases on a walk and two singles. She then induced a ground ball hit right back at her, which she fielded and threw home for the first out of the inning. Roosa coaxed another ground ball against the next batter, but a fielding error proved costly for the Cards. All runners were safe, and the floodgates opened. By the time the Cardinals worked their way out of the top of the second, Roosa had been chased from the game by the force of 10 Trinity runs. The Trinity hitters would add eight more runs against relief pitchers Angelina Massoia ’17 and Pardo to bring their total score for the game to 18.
The Cardinals fought back, most notably scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. Abby Rutt ’17 and Gately each had three RBIs, and Getchell added two of her own on the Cardinals’ way to 11 runs on the game. However, the Cardinals were simply out-slugged, falling again to Trinity by a score of 18-11.
It was a disappointing end to an injury-ridden season for the Cardinals. However, several of the team’s young players made prominent contributions to the team, and the softball program will look to cultivate this young talent as it sets its sights on the future.