CLERMONT, Fla. – The Becker College softball team earned their first win of the season in a split on Sunday evening at the Spring Games, losing 5-1 to the Thiel College Tomcats before rebounding with a 4-2 victory over the Emerson College Lions (NEWMAC).
In game one, the Hawks and Tomcats were even at 0-0 through two innings. In the top of the first, Tomcats loaded the bases with two outs. A quick five-two-three double-play, with help from Becker's senior third baseman Jessica Brochu (Hardwich, Vt.) and freshman catcher Bree Herforth (Peru, Mass.) kept the Hawks in the game early. Tomcats scored three runs in the top of the third and one run in the fourth giving them a 4-0 lead as the Hawks took over in the bottom of the fourth. Becker's one run came when senior captain, Jessica Brochu (Hardwich, Vt.) pounded her first homerun of the season to get the Hawks on the board. Thiel would score one more run in the top of the sixth to make it 5-1 Tomcats. This was the first meeting between the two programs as the Tomcats picked up their first win of the 2015 season.
The Hawks had to make a quick turnaround for game two with a late 8:45 p.m. start against the Emerson Lions. Junior left-fielder, Jackie Orangio (Maynard, Mass.) went straight to work in the top of the first with her first hit of the game, a single to third. She would cross the plate to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the first, after a double off the bat of senior captain, Jessica Brochu (Hardwick, Vt.). The score would remain 1-0 until the top of the third when junior center-fielder Jessica Wheelahan (Watertown, Conn.) would score on a triple and error on the Lions right fielder. With a 2-0 lead going into the top of the fifth, the Hawks executed three hits off the bats of Jackie Orangio (Maynard, Mass.), Jessica Wheelahan (Watertown, Conn.), and Megan Bolduc (Dover, N.H.), giving the Hawks three hits and adding two more runs to their lead. Jackie Orangio was two-for four in game two, with Jessica Wheelahan batting two-for-three.
Becker's freshman pitcher Sam Lee (Prospect, Conn.) pitched a great second game. She earned her first career collegiate win, striking out five Emerson hitters and only giving up two runs on ten hits. Lee is now 1-1 on the season for the Hawks.
The Becker College softball team is off of on Monday, March 9 with only a practice session on the schedule. The Hawks will face University of Minnesota Northwestern at St. Paul at 5:00 p.m. and Gordon College at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
