The softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Hiram College on Wednesday in their first North Coast Athletic Conference contests. After losing by a 9-3 count in the first game, the Yeowomen were steamrolled 18-5 in the second contest, dropping their record to 1-8 overall and 0-2 in NCAC play.
Senior pitcher Dawn Sweeney went two for three in both contests, with a double and two RBI in the first game and a triple and run batted in in the second. Sweeney leads the team in most offensive categories, with a .455 batting average, a .500 on base percentage, a .909 slugging percentage and 20 total bases. As the team’s primary pitcher, she has also absorbed most of the abuse from other teams’ bats, posting an 8.50 ERA and a 1-7 record, pitching in every game, starting eight of the nine and going all the way in six of those contests.
The team this year features strong veteran leadership behind Sweeney and seniors shortstop Becky Kanuch — who is second on the team with a .320 average — and outfielder Emily Johnson, third on the team with a .304 average. First-year catcher Julia Daher has also stepped in to provide some punch from the plate, as she is second on the team with a .462 slugging percentage and 12 total bases, and leads the Yeowomen with seven RBI. Last year’s two leading producers from the plate, juniors Maria Balducci and Amy Golladay, have yet to find their stride at the plate, hitting just .125 and .143, respectively, thus far in the season.

The team had mixed results on their season-opening spring break trip to the Snowbird Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Yeowomen took home one victory from the trip, a 2-0 victory over Oswego State on Thursday, March 28. The win avenged a 12-3 loss to Oswego State on Monday, March 25, when the Yeowomen were also shut out 8-0 by MacMurray College. The next day, they fell in a close contest to Centenary College, 7-5, and were blown out 15-2 by Hunter College. Wednesday, March 27, the Yeowomen were blanked 10-0 by Felician College, and the next day finally got in the win column against Oswego State, and nearly got a second W against Villa Julie College, falling 8-7.

The Yeowomen will host Kenyon College in a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m., and will then travel to Chatham (Pa.) College on Sunday at 1 p.m.