Entering the last weekend of the 2014 season, the Clarkson University Softball team has exceeded expectations and is already challenging for a post-season berth in the conference playoffs. Though the odds are long for the Golden Knights and many things need to go right for the Green and Gold, the performance by the first-year program has been admirable.
Winners of six of the last nine after opening the season winless in 19 contests, the Golden Knights stand at 6-22 overall and 2-6 in the Liberty League. The team will travel to play Skidmore (10-16 overall, 4-4 Liberty League) and Rensselaer (16-14 overall, 6-2 Liberty League) this weekend.
Clarkson's upward mobility in the standings have been spearheaded by freshman Jamie Bridge (Plymouth, CT). The pitcher/outfielder has been on fire as of late, with hits in nine of the past 10 contests, a 17-for-36 run, to raise her batting average 109 points up to .366. She has been equally impressive inside the pitching circle, striking out 48 hitters in her last four starts. It has been far from a one-player show, however. Freshman Lou Terwilliger (Putney, VT) has driven in eight of her team-best nine RBI over the course of the last 10 games, and classmate Ali Schwenzfeier (East Haddam, CT) has batted .400 in the same span with six RBI. Fortunately for the Knights, the pitching has been solid as well. Freshman Katie Pelton (Auburn, NH) has posted a 2.41 earned run average in her last 20.1 innings, and Tirzah Smith (Tully, NY) has struck out 14 in the last 18.2 innings to add to Bridge's run.
Skidmore has a solid offensive club, led by two-way player Lauren Fortunato. The freshman is hitting .367 with a .595 slugging percentage thanks to 29 hits. On the mound she pitches to contact, fanning just 15 in 52.2 innings with a 6.38 earned run average. Ranking just behind Fortunato in numerous offensive categories is Lauren Gorstein, a first-year outfielder for the Thoroughbreds who is hitting .361. Also pitching in offensively is Mackenzie Whiting, a sophomore infielder who has driven in 18 runs thanks in large part to a team-best nine doubles. Cassie Fishkin has seen the bulk of the innings for Skidmore, striking out 30 in 85.1 innings but still managing a 7-8 record despite a 6.97 earned run average.
Rensselaer is once again among the top teams in the Liberty League thanks to a strong offense and solid pitching. Sophomore Morgan Ten Eyck is hitting .443 with 35 hits and is slugging .595 thanks to nine doubles. Taylor Ten Eyck doesn't have the same average, hitting a more than respectable .300, but has dropped three home runs to drive in a team-high 24 runs. Tori Hunt is batting .415 with seven extra-base hits, including four triples, and Morgan Kollmeier is hitting .351. Danielle Balestrini has crossed the plate 26 times and is hitting .303 with 12 stolen bases in as many attempts. Kristina Weltzin is the team's top starting pitcher with 82 strikeouts in 96.1 innings. The junior has pitched 10 complete games including three shutouts for a 3.27 earned run average. The team's second starter is Victoria Hepworth, and the sophomore has been a solid pitcher for the Engineers with 53 whiffs in 65 innings and a 3.88 earned run average.
Â
