April 11, 2013
While Hamilton softball’s two back-to-back wins over SUNYIT on April 4th were well-deserved, they were not a big surprise to Head Coach Bill Spicer. “We played well and the result was what we were expecting,” he said. These wins sparked a fire in the players that led to an exciting 13-7 win against Amherst College, currently ranked third in the West Division, in the final game of their triple-header against the Jeffs last weekend.
In Friday afternoon’s game against Amherst, the Continentals struggled to find their pace, ending up with only two hits throughout the game. Senior captain of the Jeffs’ Theresa Kelly pitched a consistent game, striking out seven and giving up only one hit in four innings. Amherst’s Arielle Doering ’14 allowed the other hit by the Conts and struck out six in the last three innings. Hamilton’s Kelly Leonard ’15 did not let the opposing team’s pitchers intimidate her, allowing for just two runs on six hits in her eighth game of the year. But by the bottom of the third, the Jeffs had three runs, bringing the score to 0-3. Despite Leonard’s striking out of the next batter in the top of the fourth, Doering sealed the win for the Jeffs after retiring nine batters in the fourth inning.
After a chance to rest and recharge, the Continentals walked onto Amherst’s field in the hopes of a fresh start the next day. In their first game, the Jeffs took control of the scoreboard, scoring all 11 of their runs in the second and third innings.
While the Conts lost 2-11, they introduced a premise for their upcoming win with some standout performances. Melissa Kaknis ’13 hit her first two-run homer of the season. Sam Miller ’14 doubled and scored a run, as well. However, the Jeffs maintained their intensity and ended the game in their favor.
With little time to regroup, the Conts began their second game of the day just two hours after the first began. They managed to up their intensity and maintain concentration throughout the game, which helped them bring home the win. Although Amherst had a 4-1 advantage going into the fifth inning, the Conts responded with five runs and took a 6-4 lead into the seventh inning. Though the Jeffs put both their No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers on the field, Hamilton responded with eighteen hits.
A remarkable string of seven runs in the final inning sealed the win for the Conts and brought the final score to 13-7. The stand-out players of the game included Leonard, who struck out four Lord Jeffs, Kaknis, who singled and drove in the last run, and Ellie Kiernan ’15, who had three RBI and went 3-for-5 with a home run. Kaknis credits Kiernan for the impact of her home run on the team’s morale, saying that it “pulled us to take the lead in the second game and motivated us to continue hitting off Amherst’s best pitchers.” Lisa Faraci ’13 notably made an impressive diving catch from second base, as well. The game broke Amherst’s six-game winning streak and was the Continentals’ first conference win since 2009.
Coach Spicer was proud of the team and was especially happy for the seniors, who have “been working hard for this since they stepped on campus.” Both Kaknis and Faraci echo this sentiment. “Since I was abroad all last year and didn’t get a chance to play with the team, I was more determined than ever to get that first win before the season ended,” Faraci says. “We’ve worked so hard this season, on the field and off, and we’re happy that all our hard work finally came through on the scoreboard against a NESCAC team.” Proud of the teamwork that went into achieving this victory, Kaknis remarks, “the best part about our win against Amherst is that every single team member contributed. We each have our own strengths and during that game, we each capitalized on them.”
Despite two losses to Utica College on April 9th, the team looks forward to upcoming game against No. 2 Middlebury and No. 4 Williams later this month. Coach Spicer hopes to see his players “keep on improving [their] hitting and use this momentum to carry into the next games.” Kaknis is confident in the team’s ability to continue bringing home wins against NESCAC teams, noting the similarity between Hamilton’s NESCAC competitors.
“Middlebury and Williams play at about the same level as Amherst, so if we work together as a team, we will most definitely pick up more NESCAC wins.”
Barring future weather related issues, the Continentals take the field next this weekend against the Middlebury Panthers. They will have a double header on Saturday and a third game on Sunday, all games will be on Ferguson Field. The Conts’ double header against the St. Lawrence Eagles was postponed due to the Wednesday afternoon thunderstorm and will be played at a later date.
If the Continentals continue to capitalize on key opportunities and to maintain their focus and intensity, the scoreboard is sure to reflect this in their favor in their upcoming games.
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