Rensselaer softball finished out the regular season strong, splitting its last two games against non-conference opponent Utica College. The squad finished with a record of 27-11 overall, and 4-4 in the Liberty League. Its record was good enough to earn the second seed in the ECAC Division III Upstate Softball Championship, held this year at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. The team also saw two of its star athletes tabbed for ECAC weekly honors heading into the last week of play, as senior Bath Gargon was picked as Offensive Performer of the Week, and freshman Felicia Bua was selected as Rookie of the Week.
The ECAC tournament was a four-team, double elimination format. The Red Hawks’ first opponent was the Alfred University Saxons. The two teams had met up previously in last year’s tournament, held at home at Doris Robinson Field, where RPI fell in both games and finished the tournament 0-2. Game two would pit the Cherry and White against the Union Dutchwomen, and the third—and final—game would see RPI take on the Saxons again.
The first game of the tournament was the Red Hawks’ sole victory for the weekend. Pitcher Bua allowed only four hits and one run with four strikeouts and no walks in the 3-1 decision. Freshman stand-out Jen Bach brought in the game-winning run early in the first inning with a double, while junior Sara Finkbeiner’s RBI single in the second sealed the win.
Unfortunately, the Red Hawks were unable to carry that momentum through the rest of the tournament, losing to Union 10-2, and dropping their second game against Alfred 10-0. “We faced a higher level of competition playing Alfred and Union,” said Bach. “It was a struggle but I definitely think we will take what we have learned and improve our game.”
On the brighter side of things, Rensselaer saw 10 of its student-athletes named to year-end honors, by the Liberty League, Louisville Slugger, and ESPN the Magazine.
Eight players were named to the Liberty League select teams. Senior Gargon, juniors Julianne Bass and Finkbeiner, as well as freshmen Bua and Bach were selected to the All-League First Team, while freshman Alysa Rochminski and senior Logan Russell were named to the Second Team. Freshman third baseman Genevieve Falco was also selected as an honorable mention.
Bach also took home Liberty League Rookie of the Year honors. She led the team in several different categories, including home runs (10, tying a single-season school record), runs batted in (43), and fielding percentage (0.992). Her home run count also topped the league, and she was one of the national leaders in home runs per game (0.27) and RBIs per game (1.16). The freshman sensation also saw great success on the mound, going a perfect 3-0 in four appearances, with a 1.84 earned run average and 14 strikeouts in 19.0 innings of play.
“For next season, I just hope to continue to be an impact at the plate to help my team. Breaking and tying records is great, but you can’t focus on that. You just have to take each game at a time, or even each pitch at a time. Good focus and a good attitude can help a team accomplish their main goals together. I’m so proud to be a part of this team with these girls and our coaches.  We will be a team to watch next season,” said Bach on her awards and season successes.
Bach’s end of season awards did not end there, as she was also one of two Red Hawks named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-Northeast Region teams. She took her rightful position on the First Team, while teammate Finkbeiner placed on the Third Team.
Also receiving awards were graduate student Courtney Sweeney and sophomore captain Becky Bailey. The duo was named to the 2008 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 1 College Division Softball Team. Both players were hand-selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America and placed on the Second Team.
Right fielder Sweeney holds a 3.84 GPA, as well as multiple Liberty League All-Academic honors. She is a member of RPI’s Professional Leadership Program, the Student Senate, and the Class Council, as well as numerous honor societies on campus. Sweeney graduated with a B.S. in civil engineering in a mere three years. This is her third selection to this prestigious team, holding First Team honors her junior year, and the Second Team her sophomore year. “It is an honor to be recognized as a top student-athlete because it is something that not everyone can do,” said the outfielder. Sweeney has also been a three-year member of the RPI women’s soccer team.
Shortstop Bailey holds a perfect 4.0 in chemical engineering, and has been named to the Dean’s List every semester since her admission to RPI. She is also a Liberty League All-Academic selection. When asked about her secrets to her success both on the field and in the classroom, Bailey replied, “I think that academic and athletic successes are very closely related. I feel like the focus, determination, and willingness to work at things even when they are difficult that is necessary on the athletic field can also be applied to academics. I guess for academics I just try to remember that working through the difficulties will teach you the most, so even if it takes me a while to understand a concept, knowing that time is not wasted helps to keep me focused and not get discouraged.”
The Red Hawks will, unfortunately, lose a few key seniors for the upcoming season, but with many high-performance freshmen rising in the ranks, the team can look to the same success as seen this past year. “We have many young players,” said Coach Erika Lewis, “and we are only going to get better over the next few seasons.”
