Game of the week: Colby Softball versus Bates

This past Saturday, Colby Softball butted heads with one of the College’s most cutthroat rivals, the Bates Bobcats, in an intense, back-and-forth double header. On game day, the sun was shining on Mayflower Hill, and spirits were high, creating a competitive environment for the Mules to face off against the Bobcats. 

Although the Bobcats came through big in the first game of the double header landing a 6-4 victory against the Mules, Colby was able to get the last laugh and clinch a 4-3 victory in the second game.

Although the game started off fairly mellow with no runs scored for either side during the first inning, Bates quickly snapped out of their stupor and batted in three runs in the second inning. The Mules did not take this lightly. Thanks to strong pitching from sophomore Sam Ahlholm, Colby was able to stop Bates in their tracks until the fifth inning, bringing in three runs of their own to tie up the game. The Bobcats were able to score one more run in the fifth inning, allowing them to pull ahead of the Mules. 

Despite strong batting from the Mules lineup—utility player Brenna Forbes `23 and outfielder Jackie Hill `23 were standout hitters this game—the Bates Bobcats put up a strong fight and ended up batting in two runs in the 8th inning, bringing the final score to 6-4, Bobcats.

Despite the unfortunate result in the first game of the double header, Colby Softball was able to turn the beat around and ultimately send Bates scampering back to Lewiston. A strong start by Bates, three runs in the first inning, would have discouraged most, but the Mules remained strong in the face of adversity. Colby was able to answer back in the fourth and fifth innings, tying up the game 3-3. 

Finding her rhythm after a tough start, pitcher and outfielder Payton Crowley `24 excelled on the mound, letting hardly any Bates batters make contact with her pitches. 

Competition reached a fever pitch as the game went to extra innings, but Hill made contact in the tenth inning, landing a double and rounding the bases to secure a 4-3 victory for the Mules. This double made for a satisfying end to the long fight against the Bobcats. 

Outfielder Kat Hioe `24 weighed in on how the Mules managed to turn things around in the second game of their Saturday double header. “Losing our first game was tough because we knew we had the chance to beat them. We knew the second game was going to be the last game for our seniors and it all ended up coming together really well.” 

Throughout their season, Colby Softball had to persevere through the uncertainty of playing sports during a pandemic. Hioe remarked, “it was definitely different from a normal season. We didn’t know when we were going to play and any game could have been our last. A big thing for our season overall was taking advantage of every practice and game.”

Congratulations to the seniors of Colby Softball following a marvelous victory in the last game of their season.

~ Will Korsh `23