The amazing season for the women's softball team came to an end on Saturday as they fell 2-0 to Williams in the NESCAC Championship game. The team broke several records this year, including most wins in a season with 24. The seniors have come a long way after struggling though a 4-17 mark during their rookie season.
Middlebury didn't get off to a great start at the NESCAC Tournament as they fell 2-0 to Bowdoin in the double-elimination tournament. An RBI double and single in the first inning scored the only two runs of the game for Bowdoin. Middlebury had three hits on the day, leaving six runners on base. George went 1-1 with a pair of walks, while Hurd had a hit and a stolen base. Junior Megan McCarthy (Winter Springs, Fla.) took the loss.
The Panthers battled back the next day in the loser's bracket, defeating Tufts 2-0. A two-run double from first-year player Maura Casey (Garden City, N.Y.) was all Middlebury would need as she plated a pair of runs in the fourth inning. She ended the game with two hits, while Williams went 2-3 on the day. Bowe pitched five innings for the win, while Williams pitched the last two to earn a save.
Middlebury turned up the offense in their second game of the day as they scored three in the seventh to earn a 5-0 win over Bowdoin. A SAC fly by George gave Middlebury a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The lead increased to 2-0 in the sixth with an RBI single by Sullivan, plating Freyer. A SAC fly by Williams, an RBI single by sophomore Victoria Glowacky (Blairstown, N.J.) and an unearned run gave the Panthers a comfortable 5-0 lead in the seventh. Guza went 2-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Freyer was 2-3 with a pair of runs scored. Battaglia also had two hits on the day, while Williams threw the complete game, allowing just five hits to earn the shutout.
In their third and final game of the day, Middlebury took on the host school, having to beat them twice to win the NESCAC title. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when a two-run double scored the game's only runs for Williams. The Panthers had three hits on the day and left five base runners. Freyer had a pair of hits, while McCarthy took the loss, allowing no earned runs over six innings.
