< past eight games, the Carleton College Softball team has gone 6-2, winning six games in a row. The Knights are now 4-2 in MIAC play and 9-13 on the season.
After falling to St. Thomas in the start of MIAC play last Saturday, the Knights rallied to notch a pair of wins against the St. Kate’s Wildcats. This was the Knights first MIAC sweep of the season and Carleton’s first sweep of a MIAC opponent since 2007. Returning pitcher Chelsea Yost ’11, Kaitlin Bagley ’14 and Jenny Forster ’14 had strong pitching performances that drove the Knights to the consecutive wins. In addition to offering strong pitching performances, Carleton started out the games with strong bats and well-timed hits. Jocelyn Friedman ‘13, Kelsey Parsons ‘13, Jenny Ramey ‘14, and Yost notched multiple hits for the day.
After Monday’s practice on a slightly soggy Bell Field, the team arrived focused and determined for Tuesday’s home opener against Macalester. The Knight’s incredible warm-up CD only gave the players greater motivation to notch another pair of wins. In two well-fought games, the Knights rallied to sweep Mac in a pair of 5-3 and 7-1 victories. Pitchers Bagley and Yost offered another set of stellar performances with the support of Friedman from behind the plate. “Our pitchers are really taking a leadership role on the field,” said catcher Jocelyn Friedman. “It’s great to see them so focused and driven on the mound. They’ve really stepped up in the past eight games.”The bats stayed hot throughout the day with multiple hits from Parsons, Ramey, and lefty speedster Katrina Harper ‘14.
Less than 24 hours after sweeping the Scots, the Knights laced up their cleats to play against non-conference opponent, Bethany Lutheran College. With high energy and determination, the Knights delivered yet another set of victories to bring the win-streak to 6 games, the program’s longest string of wins since 2004. In Game 1, Yost hurled 5 scoreless innings and Bagley picked up her first collegiate save. The pitching stayed hot with Forster notching her first win for the season in the nightcap. In yet another strong offensive performance, Parsons went 5-6 for the day. Ramey and Yost also came out with multiple hits for the day. “It’s really exciting that we were able to fight through those games,” said outfielder and captain Alex Schefter ‘12. “Everyone played a part in keeping the energy high and that made the difference in those wins.”
While the Knights shut down their last three opponents in the chilly Minnesota weather, the spring break competition in sunny Arizona proved more challenging. The Knights went 3-9 over their two-week stay in Tucson and were swept by UW-Eau Claire in the last double-header of the trip. “We played better teams in Arizona than we did last year on spring break. But we are a better team now,” said Ellen Levine ‘13. “Spring break was great for getting used to playing with everyone. We improved a lot over the two weeks.” After two weeks of sunshine, softball, and cheap Mexican burritos, the Knights left Arizona with sweet tan lines, ready to meet the MIAC challenges lying ahead.
The Knights will host Augsburg this Saturday, 1 p.m. in their bid to continue their winning-streak as they return in MIAC play.
Dana Mackey is a member of the softball team.
