By Liv Barry
Editor-in-Chief
Last weekend, Washington College softball traveled to a rainy Allentown, Pa., sweeping a doubleheader with a pair of wins against their Centennial Conference opponent, the Muhlenberg College Mules. The Shorewomen took a 5-2 victory in their first game and won 5-4 in their second match.
During the opening game, the first score came from the Shorewomen. Senior Hannah Solge hit a single and sent sophomore Gracelyn Goforth, who was previously sitting at three, to home base, earning the Shorewomen their first point of the double-header. According to previous Elm coverage, Solge just hit a career milestone in February, earning 100 career hits in the Shorewomen’s game against the Marymount University Saints on Feb. 27.
In the same inning, sophomore Jenna Harper played sharply, sending Solge and sophomore Julia Weglarz to home following a double and advancing the first game to 3-0.
After Harper’s play, the Mules scored at the bottom of the same inning, bringing the score to 3-1. However, Harper batted another single, sending junior Chloe Trefz past home and scoring another point
“I have been working extremely hard to improve my skill sets and mental strength during games, and I think it paid off in these games,” Harper said. “I couldn’t have done any of it without my teammates and their support.”
At the top of the sixth inning, the Shorewomen took home their final point of the game after Trefz hit a single and sent pinch runner freshman Julia Guzman to home.
“This specific win felt great because there was a lot of conflict with the weather…and as a team, we were able to come together and get past the adversity,” Weglarz said. “We use every game as a learning experience no matter the outcome, but it is always better to learn while ending with a win.”
The Shorewomen scored first again in their second match against the Mules. However, the first point was unearned, as a throwing error from the Mules allowed senior Sydney Skrzypiec to score.
Loaded bases at the top of the fourth inning made for the Shorewomen’s first earned run in the second game after a single from Gofoth.
Following Gofoth’s score, a series of smart plays allowed WC softball to bring the score against the Mules to 5-0. Guzman took another point for the team in a fielder’s choice, and Harper hit a single that helped Solge and Trefz to pass base.
The Mules scored twice — once at the bottom of the fourth inning, and again at the bottom of the fifth — due to a Shorewomen fielding error and throwing error, respectively.
At the bottom of the seventh inning, the Mules scored twice again, but the team could not surpass the Shorewomen by the end of the game.
This win for the Shorewomen leaves the team 4-0 in the Centennial Conference.
“Moving forward this win gives us confidence, but also provides us with more reps to get better,” Weglarz said. “We are using any nerves that we have and turning it into energy. Pressure is privilege.”
In the face of the team’s victory, Harper noted that the wins were well-earned considering the improvement that the Mules displayed in the games.
“Muhlenberg definitely improved their skills from last year and we could have backed down and lost, but we came together and worked as a team to get the win. It was truly a team effort and was amazing to see us play together collectively,” Harper said.
Head coach Sally Snover also acknowledged the roadblocks that the Shorewomen faced during their game, but believes that the struggles the team faced will put them in a better position for their upcoming matches against Conference opponents.
“We were facing a quality opponent on the road and in rough weather – all of these things create conditions that are not easy to perform well in and they did a great job finding a way to win two games,” Snover said. “I am hopeful that we continue to learn from these games and take confident play into a big week of conference games.”
Next up, the Shorewomen will take conference rivals the Haverford College Fords in a doubleheader at home on Thursday, April 11.
Photo Caption: WC softball improves to 4-0 in Centennial Confrence play following sweeps of Muhlenberg and Ursinus.
Photo Courtesy of WC Athletics