The softball team ended their season Saturday splitting a doubleheader against the Bates Bobcats. Wes finished in fourth place in the NESCAC with a 2-6 record and a 11-20 record overall.
“The season ended on a pretty positive note, winning two of our last three games. Our final record doesn’t reflect the talent that this team really had,” said head coach Jenn Shea, “Of our twenty losses, fourteen of them were by three runs or less. We just need a couple more hits in each game and we’ll be able to win some of those.”
Against Bates, the Cardinals showed off all their talents. In the bottom of the fourth the Cardinals’ bats started singing. Co-captain Sue Frost ’05 reached first on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Stacie Szmonko ’07 provided the hit that helped Frost bring home the first run. With the score at 1-0 in the top of fifth, the Bobcats continued to have trouble connecting, recording no hits for the next two innings. The Wes bats came alive again in the sixth as co-captain Kelly Harris ’04 and Ashley Cecchinato ’05 both brought home runs. The Bobcats still could not produce in the top of the seventh and Wes took the first game 3-0.
The Bobcats came back in the second game, by taking an early 1-0 lead in the top of third. The Cardinals could not utilize their hitting power from the first game and failed to score a run, dropping the second game, 1-0.
“In the win against Bates, Stacie Szmonko [’07] had two doubles that drove in all three runs for us,” Shea said, “Molly Gaebe [’07] pitched well on the day, getting the win in the first game, only giving up one hit and having 11 strikeouts. She also pitched three innings of relief in the second game, had four strikeouts and only gave up one hit.”
The Cardinals have made their presence known this season in the NESCAC with freshman pitching sensation Molly Gaebe ’07, March 29 NESCAC Player of the Week, who holds the record in the conference for appearances, most innings pitched and most strikeouts. Also making their mark on the NESCAC was Diana Garcia ’06 who was third in the NESCAC in triples. She also led the team with at .302 batting average, runs scored and hits. Allison Zoromski ’07 who was second with games started, while Wes as a team is fourth in team fielding.
“We were a young group this year [four freshmen and five sophomores] and as a team, we gained valuable experience to carry into the future,” Shea said. “The future looks bright for Wesleyan softball, with almost everyone returning and a solid group of freshmen coming in.”
The Cardinals will return, however, without their only senior, co-captain Harris. She has been an outstanding leader on and off the field, and holds the record for most games played in a Wesleyan uniform at 118 games.
“Even though Kelly looks like she would not be tough at all she actually is because in Florida she was cleated in the face and looked like a freak but she kept playing. She just dusted her shoulder off and got right back up to second base. She really did look like a freak though,” said Liz Burnside ’05.
“Kelly Harris has been a mainstay in the program over the last four years. She brought a knowledge of the game to the program that wasn’t there before,” Shea said. “Her hard-work and dedication will definitely be missed next year.”
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