The RPI softball team launched its 2005 season in impressive fashion last week, as they played 10 games over six days in Fort Myers, Fla., and came back with an 8-1-1 record.
“Our goal was to have 10 wins,” declared junior Stephanie Vanek, “which didn’t happen, but we still came back with an 8-1-1 record, which is really good.”
Not only did Rensselaer garner an 8-1-1 record, but they did so while scoring 76 runs, batting .357 with runners in scoring position, holding opponents to a .171 average, having two games end early due to an eight-run-lead mercy rule, and shutting out three opponents.
The Red Hawks began the trip with a 14-4 drubbing of St. Mary’s College and a heartbreaking 4-3, extra-inning loss to Monmouth College.
Monmouth stole the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with an RBI triple from leftfielder Stacia Logan. RPI had a good chance to score in the top of that inning with Nikki Dooley on second, with no outs, but they were unable to capitalize.
“We shouldn’t have lost that game,” admitted coach Erika Lewis, “but sometimes you lose games you shouldn’t lose and win games you shouldn’t win.”
The team came out strong on day two, beating St. Joseph’s College 7-1 in the morning and handing Hiram College a 6-3 defeat in the afternoon.
“Katie [Mahoney] came up really big in the Hiram game,” commended Lewis. “It was her first pitching start of the year, and she came out on fire.”
Day three marked a mercy rule win and an extra-inning tie for the Red Hawks. They downed Cazenovia 11-2 after only five innings, and tied 2-2 in nine innings against a tough Amherst squad.
“I was really happy with that game even though it was a tie,” said Lewis of the Amherst match. “We held our own against one of the best pitchers we’ll probably see all year.”
Amherst hurler Miya Warner gave up only three hits and struck out 14 Red Hawks in the tie.
In the last four Fort Myers games, RPI went 4-0, outscoring opponents 33-2 and shutting out Mount Ida, Westfield State, and Framingham State. Fitchburg State tallied two runs in the final game of the trip, halting Rensselaer’s shutout streak at three games.
Overall, three aspects categorized the Red Hawk’s solid beginning. “We were really productive in our pitching, hitting with runners in scoring position, and hitting with two outs,” Lewis explained as the cause of her team’s strong start. “They were the keys to our success.”
On the mound, the Red Hawks relied on three pitchers. Junior Amy Huling went 2-1 with a 0.76 ERA and sophomores Nikki Dooley and Mahoney went 4-0-1 with a 1.14 ERA and 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA, respectively.
“All three pitchers did a fantastic job,” said Lewis. “They really gelled with Katherine [Valenta].”
Valenta, a sophomore, is spending her first full season as the team’s catcher. She is replacing former teammate Amanda Bolognino, who garnered All-Region First Team awards last season before leaving the team for personal reasons.
The switch, however, was barely noticeable, as Valenta left Florida with a .353 batting average, two doubles, a triple, a home run, and 10 RBIs in 34 at-bats. She also stole a base and made no errors behind the plate.
The Red Hawks achieved their great start while also relying on three starting freshmen and three returning bench players now cast in starting roles.
“The girls that came off the bench [last year] and are playing now and the freshmen stepped up really well,” praised Vanek.
“Ann [Cosgrove], Courtney [Sweeney], and Logan [Russell] did a great job,” exalted Lewis of the freshmen trio. “They really stepped up.”
The Liberty League agreed with Lewis and Vanek’s assessment of the Red Hawk freshmen, as two have already received Rookie of the Week honors.
Russell was the first Rookie of the Week of the 2005 season, batting .278, scoring three runs, and knocking in two RBIs in 18 at bats over the first six games. She would see 14 more at bats in Fort Myers, adding two more RBIs and four more runs scored. She also currently leads the team with six walks.
Sweeney became the second Liberty League Rookie of the Week on Monday. Over the last four games, Sweeney batted .333, scored three runs, and chipped in four RBIs in 15 at bats, and also maintained a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while playing out of position at third base. “She’s always been a middle infielder,” said Lewis.
The Liberty League also saw fit to award Dooley, Vanek, and senior Lizzie Vitaliano with weekly honors for their Florida performances as RPI swept the league softball awards in both weeks of the young season.
Dooley was named Pitcher of the Week both times the award has been given out. In addition to her record and ERA, the Colonie, N.Y., native struck out 40 batters while only giving up six walks in 37.0 innings of action over the 10 games.
Vitaliano earned the first Performer of the Week accolades of the season. In the first six games of the year, the senior had at least one hit in every game, maintained a team-best .591 batting average, collected 13 hits, scored eight runs, and knocked in seven RBIs.
Vanek was the next Performer of the Week as she hit an astronomical .733, going 11 for 15, in the last four Florida games while upholding a .944 fielding percentage at shortstop. The junior co-captain also had another reason to celebrate. With four home runs over the 10 games, Vanek passed Cathy Urbach ‘95 for first on the career homerun list.
“It’s kind of weird,” confessed Vanek of seeing her name in the Red Hawk record book. “I didn’t even realize it until my dad told me that I did it. It’s great that I did it, and it is important to me, but I’m more glad that we won those games.”
With the spring trip over, RPI returns to the Northeast for a doubleheader against Castleton State on Friday, March 25, at Doris Robison Field.
Bigger games, however, loom close, as the sixth-ranked Ithaca Bombers travel to Troy on April 2 and the crosstown Union Dutchwomen welcome the Red Hawks to Schenectady on April 8.
“We try not to look ahead,” said Lewis. “We just take each game as it comes.”
