The softball team took a pair of midweek non-conference games this week, beating Brandeis 4-2 on Wednesday and MIT on Tuesday, 3-1, and cracking the 20-win mark for the 12th time in the past 13 years.
But even with the tallies in the win column, coach Cheryl Milligan sees work still to be done.
"We've had some pretty explicit goals for the past couple days, which I'd say we've done an average job of meeting," Milligan said. "I'm not especially proud of either of these games; we had good pitching and defense, but we have a lot of work to go with hitting."
The Jumbos got two complete games from its pitching rotation, as sophomore Erica Bailey and senior Julia Brenta went the distance. Brenta took the win in the Brandeis game with seven strikeouts and no walks to move to 6-2 on the year.
"All my pitches were working," Brenta said. "My curveball was on, my rise ball was working, and change-up was my strike out pitch for the day."
On Wednesday, Bailey matched a solid 4-for-4 hitting day at the plate on the mound, cracking into double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season to take the game from the Engineers and move to 3-4.
The Jumbos combined for 23 hits in the two games, split almost evenly off Brandeis sophomore Kaitlin Streilein and MIT sophomore Leah Bogsted. Bailey was a perfect 6-for-6 in the pair, including a two-RBI single in the fifth inning on Wednesday that erased a 1-0 Brandeis lead and put the Jumbos up for good. Freshman Alison Drobiarz was 3-for-3 in Tuesday's game and freshman Laura Chapman went 3-for-4 against the Judges.
But despite some solid plate showings, the Jumbos put together only five back-to-back hits in the two games and left 19 runners stranded in the two games combined, 10 of those in scoring position.
"We had plenty of hits, but not a lot of clutch hitting," Milligan said. "We're doing a lot of shuffling and figuring out who's best where and when. We're still trying to put the lineup in the right order and figure out how everyone fits into that."
In the MIT game, the Jumbos struggled to put leadoff runners on base. Drobiarz got the first hit of the game for the Jumbos, reaching on a bunt, but the next six leadoff at-bats included two strikeouts, two pop flies, and two shortstop-to-first groundouts.
While the Jumbos were able to turn a 180 the next day, as six of the seven leadoff batters reached base, they stayed off the board until a pair of runs each in the fifth and sixth gave them enough to hold off the Judges.
Chapman contributed two leadoff singles, and scored the Jumbos' first run of the day on Wednesday, barreling home on Bailey's RBI single.
"Coach told the slappers - Roni [Herbst], Ali [Drobiarz] and me - to focus on bat placement and getting the ball on the ground to utilize our speed," Chapman said. "On Tuesday, the MIT pitcher was pitching us really outside, but on Wednesday, we were really looking for a good pitch and we came around."
A quiet game from sophomore slugger Danielle Lopez shifted the RBI responsibility down the lineup. Bailey answered with a 2-for-2, but few consistent big hits down the lineup lowered the efficiency of the Jumbos 11 hits against the Judges.
"We were very effective with leadoff batter [against Brandeis] and we got runners in scoring position pretty easily," Milligan said. "We were looking to [Lopez] in three spot to push people around, but there are plenty of people behind her that need to get the job done."
And with the team's recent push to clean up their fielding, Milligan is looking past offensive stats when making the lineup.
"We have basically been putting a lineup together based on defense, not necessarily on offense, which in the postseason will be a main priority," Milligan said. "So with that, it's not terribly shocking that we're not getting big hits all the time."
That defense came together more consistently, as the Jumbos did a solid job picking up for each other in the field. Bailey's two walks at MIT ended up as outs, one on a pickoff from sophomore catcher Megan Cusick, and one on a Lopez-turned double play. Cusick also caught another lead runner in the sixth with her NESCAC-leading 10th pickoff of the season.
"There is nothing better than having your defense pick you up and make those double plays or pickoffs," Bailey said. "It's what good teams do and right now we are doing it without hesitation or doubt. It's awesome."
The Jumbos will need all their weapons this weekend, as they play their most important doubleheader of the season tomorrow against Trinity. While their sweep of Williams on Apr. 2 may have been symbolically huge, and two split doubleheaders against Western Conn and Babson somewhat disheartening, the only games that truly matter are those against the four other teams in the NESCAC East.
"The two Trinity games are extremely important, and there can't just be spurts [of good play] in those games," Bailey said." It needs to be a constant, excellent and well-executed performance."
"I think we're on right path, and we always really step it up for NESCAC games," Brenta said. "We utilize non-conference games to work on different skills so we can bring our game up. We started off a little slow [this season], but we keep improving and improving."
The Jumbos are in first place in the division at 4-0, with sweeps over Bowdoin and Bates. While only 2-2 in the East - squeaking by cellar-dweller Colby and losing two to second-place Bowdoin - the Bantams boast a 17-5 record and will be playing to clinch a berth in the NESCAC postseason tournament.
And while the Jumbos are still sorting out their strengths and weaknesses and trying to combine their best hitting, fielding and pitching in the same game, Milligan sees the raw talent and leadership on her roster to make it happen.
"This team isn't [reliant on] any one person," Milligan said. "Everyone has to step in, whether it's Jess Barrett having a great year at the plate or [freshman] Sam [Kuhles] coming in and hitting [.429]. And our seniors and juniors are the heart of our team - we would be nowhere near where we are right now without them.
"If we come to play, I feel really confident in this team right now, but if we don't, we're going to get beat," Milligan continued. "We've lost two games since we've been up North, and both times, we thought we were the better team. But we didn't do it, and talent aside, we have to come ready to play."
