Though this may be the final publication of the 2023-2024 school year, the softball season is still aways from its conclusion. Since the final game recap in the previous publication, the softball team has played 12 games, eight of which being University Athletic Association (UAA) Conference games.
The first UAA series they played since April 5 was against the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Tartans in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Judges came out strong as they won the first two games of the four game series, though their momentum came to a halt after game two when they lost both of the remaining games in the series.
In the first game against the Tartans, the Judges decisively won with a score of 4-0. Paired with the stellar day for pitcher Ragini Kannan ’26 who only allowed six hits, the Judges performed to the best of their abilities. The strongest Judge at the plate during this game was Haley Nash ’24 who went 2-3 in the game, two runs scored and three RBIs.
In their second game against CMU, the Judges had another strong showing. Most impressive during this game were the three home runs the Judges scored that helped establish their 8-2 win against the Tartans. The first homer was hit by Bells Burdenski ’26, the second was a result of a two-run dinger by Anna Kolb ’25, and the third was hit by Burdenski once again. This time she hit a three-run homer. In the circle, Alex Cohen ’24 had a successful showing having only allowed two runs and six hits in her complete game.
During their third and fourth game in Pittsburgh, the Judges fell to the Tartans. Neither team had a particularly strong defensive showing which allowed for many runs to be scored. In the first game, the Judges fell three runs short of the win, losing 6-8 to the Tartans. The Judges had a 6-1 lead going into the sixth inning of this game, though the Tartans found their stride when they later sent ten batters to the plate. They came away from that successful inning having scored six runs and establishing a one-point lead. After this, the Judges were unfortunately unable to respond to the heat that CMU was bringing. Later, in the second game of the day and their final game of this series, the Tartans continued to have hot bats. They won 13-7 against the Judges. During this game, two UAA records were set: most home runs in a game with CMU’s six, and most home collective runs in a game, eight. Though the Judges suffered this loss, contributing to the new record had to be a nice silver lining.
Once the Judges arrived home, they traveled to Wellesley College to play a doubleheader. The Judges came away victorious in both games as they won the first 4-0, and the second 2-0. Key hits from the first game were by Nash, Burdenski and Kolb. Kannan also had a strong day in the circle, striking out nine which was just one K away from a season-high. The second game was a bit closer than the first. Each team earned six hits, but the Judges took the lead through forcing two runners home to make the difference.
Following their non-conference games against Wellesley, the Judges hosted the Emory University Eagles in a three-day-long series with four games. This series did not go the way the Judges had hoped as they only won one of the four games they played against the Eagles. The first game was a strong performance for the Judges as they were able to hold the Eagles off despite a six-run sixth inning. The big innings during this game for the Judges were the second and sixth, each with four runs scored. The game was tied going into the eighth and final inning of the game, but Kolb delivered for the Judges as she hit a walk-off shot to center field, establishing the 9-8 win for the Judges.
On day two of this series against Emory, the Judges were not as successful. They ultimately fell to the Eagles twice, the first game was a close 3-4 loss and the second game of the day was a tough 7-12 loss for the Judges. The first game was tied from the fourth inning until the Eagles scored two decisive runs in the top of the eighth. The Judges made an effort to respond, but fell short as they were only able to respond with one run before the game concluded. The second game was a bit different as the Eagles scored in all seven innings but two. Their runs were spread evenly throughout the game, making it difficult for the Judges to contend with their successful batting and strong defense.
In their final game against the Emory Eagles, the Judges fell 1-6 as they were not able to produce the hits they were striving for. The only run the Judges scored during this game was hit by Nash, who now is just five places behind first on the Judges’ all-time list for her 26 career home runs. She also leads the Judges this season with her team-high seven home runs on the season so far. Despite this loss, the Judges were still able to have a nice day as it was their Pride Game.
In their most recent games, the Judges played against the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and had two exciting wins. The first game was the continuation of a game that had initially been started on March 22, but was suspended due to weather conditions. The Judges came into this doubleheader ready to compete and they did just that. They won the first game by a score of 11-10, and the second game in a score of 14-6. First-year Brooke Boehmer ’27 had a big day as she had two walk-off plate appearances to seal the deal for the Judges’ two thrilling wins on the day. In the second game Elle Ehrlich ’26 also had an exciting day as she hit her first homer of the season, helping lead the Judges to their second win of the day.
Looking ahead, the Judges will host their final UAA series of the season this weekend, with four games against the Case Western University Spartans.
