Colby Softball dominates Bates while baseball falls to Middlebury

On Saturday April 9, Colby Softball took on Bates at a homefield double header. Despite a drizzly weekend morning, both teams came fired up in this regional and divisional rivalry which marked the Mules first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) competition. The first game of Saturday’s double header started in the Bobcats’ favor, but the Mules quickly turned it around.

The Mules started out slowly, giving up two runs early in the first, but answered right away. In her first at bat, Logan Luebbe ’23 hit an RBI (Runs Batted In) triple to tie the game. Right after, her teammate Amanda Cabral ’23 brought another run home with an RBI. 

In the same inning, Payton Crowley ’24 converted another RBI (and a double) to land on second and bring the score to 4-2, Mules leading. Colleen McAvoy ’25 hit a two run single off an overwhelmed Bobcats pitching core to make the score 7-3 in the fifth inning. 

With two innings left, Abby Orso ’24 on a fantastic string of good form came in for Sam Ahlholm ’23 to close out the first of three of Colby’s matchups against Bates for the weekend. Orso, characteristically, went on to strike out three out of six Bobcats she faced at the mound. 

The game unraveled for Bates after that. The Bobcats’ pitcher gave up another run to Luebbe in the sixth, after walking Katelyn Hays ’25 with bases loaded in an embarrassing display of incompetence. 

After a short break, the two teams lined up again across from Coombs field for the second of Saturday’s games. Orso continued her tenure at the mound and pitched the entire game, allowing only three runs and striking out another seven. Colby scored two runs early on to set the tone for the afternoon matchup and continue their dominant spell. 

The game came to a fevered pitch in the fourth inning, which became a nightmare for the Bobcats. At the climax of the inning, Chloe Wilcox ’24 scored a grand slam ‑ earning her NESCAC Player of the Week honors. At this point, Bates did not stand a chance. With an 8-2 lead, Wilcox added another run in the fifth inning and Jackie Hill ’23 hit a home run in the sixth her first home run of the season. 

Ending the game 10-3, the Mules were in great shape for their third and final game of the weekend. Orso ‑ a regular standout for the team ‑ improved her record to 6-2, playing in all but four games so far.

Colby Baseball took a trip to Middlebury on Sunday, April 10, but did not find the same success as Colby Softball. The Mules played to Middlebury’s strength for the first inning, but that was the last inning before a game-long slide.

The Mules went scoreless over the next four innings, while letting up seven Middlebury runs. Regaining some footing in the fourth inning, the Mules scored four runs, making the score 5-8, with another inning left to come back. Sadly, the sixth inning was even more productive for Middlebury, who scored eight runs to put the Mules’ chances at slim to none.

Middlebury closed out the top of the seventh without letting up a run to send Colby on a long bus ride home.

Colby Softball will continue to test their hot streak against a strong Tufts University team over three games this weekend April 15 and 16. Colby Baseball looks to recover their form with local weeknight games before a rivalry matchup against Bates College over the weekend.

~ Will Bedingfield `22