Though the Red softball team relinquished its perfect record over its 13 game Spring Break stint in Florida, it was able to strengthen team chemistry, build up confidence and pick up some hard-fought wins against tough competition. After going 6-7 over Spring Break, the Red’s overall record now stands at a solid 12-7. Fueled by a 4-3, 11 inning victory in its last game, the Red now looks to take care of visiting Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend.“We’re really looking forward to this weekend’s matchups,” said head coach Dick Blood. “We’re going up against the cream of the crop of the Northern Division. Both teams have good pitching and solid lineups. It will be a dogfight.”Dartmouth owns a 1-15 record and its pitchers collective ERA is a sky-high 7.11 — the team has managed to score a mere 24 runs in 16 games. Harvard has been faring a bit better than Dartmouth, as it boasts a 6-14 record. The Crimson is led by pitcher Rachel Brown and her stingy 1.86 ERA, to go along with three shutouts on the season resume.Coach Blood said he was really pleased with his team’s Spring Break performance. “We played against some really tough competition … we had some questions going in, and they got answered,” he saidSimilarly, junior pitcher Elizabeth Dalrymple thought that the team did well, especially considering that this Spring Break’s competition was tougher than years past. “We pulled off some good wins against U.C.F. and U.S.F., and we were able to prove that we can hold our own against some really good teams,” she said.Dalrymple thought that the strenuous Spring break schedule proved to be beneficial, as it allowed the team “to change lineups often, and get chemistry going,” she added.All things considered the Red is excited to finally get its first home game underway.“It’s really nice having the home crowd and playing on your own field,” Dalrymple said. “The home atmosphere is really important. It helps us feel more relaxed, comfortable and ready to go. I’m really excited for this weekend.”“The field is pretty wet right now but we’re hoping the weather will dry it up,” Blood said.
Original Author: Jonathan Shtaynberger