It was a tale of two teams for Head Coach Erika Lewis and the RPI softball squad this past weekend. Fresh off a two-week layover from their Florida trip, the Red Hawks battled non-league foes Castleton State and nationally ranked Ithaca on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Rensselaer dominated the homestanding Spartans, sweeping Friday’s doubleheader 8-0 and 5-0. It was the exact opposite against Ithaca, however, as the Bombers controlled the action with a pair of 7-0 wins over the visiting Red Hawks.
In game one against Castleton State, freshman ace Michelle Street came within four outs of a perfect game before surrendering a double to Spartan shortstop Anita Dixon in the bottom of the fifth inning. According to Lewis, the thought of the perfect game never crossed Street’s mind. “She just goes out there and pitches,” Lewis commented. “She’s not concerned with stats, she just wants the win.”
Offensively, RPI’s three-four-five hitters led the way. Senior Amy Huling, freshman Julianne Bass, and junior Katherine Valenta combined to go six for 11 with four RBIs. In fact, Bass was responsible for the first run of the day, leading off the second inning with a home run.
In game two, Huling took over where Street left off, pitching a gem of her own. The Vienna, Va., native struck out 10 Spartans, scattered just three hits, and gave up a mere two walks for the shutout. “Both Michelle and Amy pitched tremendously,” praised Lewis.
On the other side of the plate, the Red Hawks wasted no time mounting a lead. Senior captain Stephanie Vanek led the game off with an inside-the-park home run. The play, however, was officially ruled a triple for Vanek with a fielding error charged to Spartan rightfielder Heather Alley. With the score 1-0 after only one at-bat, freshman sensation Sara Finkbeiner stepped up to the plate and cracked a round-tripper of her own, doubling the RPI lead.
Rensselaer has a total of 16 home runs on the year thus far, far eclipsing last season’s total of 11. Lewis accredits the power surge to her team’s offseason and preseason workout program. She also attributes the success to her players’ patience at the plate. “They’re waiting and getting the pitches they want to hit. They’re getting the ones they can drive, rather than the ones the pitchers want them to hit,” Lewis said.
Originally, RPI was slated to play Ithaca the very next day. Due to inclement weather, however, the teams were forced to wait until Sunday before competing­­—something that Lewis felt may have played a small part in her team’s poor performance. “They were set in their minds to play back-to-back days,” stated Lewis of her squad. “[Rescheduling] may have been a small factor, but you have to be ready to play on any given day. We just didn’t bring our ‘A’ game.”
The Bombers showed why they are the fourth-ranked team in the nation, abusing the Red Hawk pitchers to the tune of 14 runs on 18 hits over the course of the doubleheader.
In game one, Street held the Ithaca hitters in check through three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Bombers finally got to the young pitcher. With the bases loaded and no outs, Ithaca centerfielder Leigh Bonkowski was hit by a pitch and leftfielder Mel Chinigo walked, each forcing a run home. That would be all for Street, as Lewis brought Vanek to the mound in relief. Ithaca would get three more runs in the inning, expanding their lead to 6-0 and effectively ending the game.
The nightcap provided much the same storyline as the opener. Huling was able to control the Ithaca bats through five innings, but in the sixth the Bombers tacked seven runs on the board, all but sealing the sweep. “They just finally figured her out,” lamented Lewis.
Not only were the Red Hawk pitchers roughed up, but the RPI bats were uncharacteristically silent in Ithaca. Lewis’ squad managed only five hits on the day. They also could only get one runner past second base. “You can’t win a game when you don’t score,” remarked Lewis. “The offense was definitely disappointing.”
The losses, however, may prove to be a positive for the young Red Hawks. “Now the kids realize you have to bring your best every game,” said Lewis. “[Ithaca’s] level of play gives us something to shoot for.”
Next up for RPI (15-3) is a non-league doubleheader against Mount Saint Mary’s scheduled for today in Newburgh, N.Y. “We’ve never played them before,” stated Lewis. “On paper, we’re the better team, but you can’t always go by stats and numbers.”
