After starting the season 8-0 in the MAAC, the softball team dropped a pair of home games to Marist on Friday. The first game was competitive and finished 8-6, while the Stags were dominated 6-0 in the second. With the two losses, the team gave up its shared lead of the MAAC and has dropped down to third place, right behind Iona and Marist, who now lead the conference.
The girls are heavily scheduled this week, with six games being played in the coming seven days. The first matchup will be a rematch against Yale on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. The Bulldogs trounced the Stags 9-1 in their first matchup in New Haven, but the home-field advantage of playing at Alumni Softball Field could alter the outcome.
The team then enters a three-game series against Niagara University, which has struggled heavily this season. The Purple Eagles sit second-to-last in the MAAC with a record of 1-4 in the conference and 3-17 overall. The first two games will be played as a doubleheader on Saturday, with the first starting at noon and the second slated for 2 p.m. The final game will be played on Sunday at 11 a.m. If the Stags play up to their potential, then the matches should be a confidence booster after suffering in-conference defeats to Marist.
On April 15, the girls will face off against Sacred Heart University in a doubleheader. This is the first time that the cross-town rivals will compete against each other in the MAAC, which makes the matchup special for both teams. Junior Pitcher Alyssa Weinberg states that facing Sacred Heart “brings an extra importance” but also cites that “sticking to our game and not making the game bigger than it is” will ensure the highest probability of success.
Earlier this month, Weinberg was awarded the Jersey Mike’s MAAC Pitcher of the Week after giving up only one earned run throughout 14 innings of pitching. Weinberg is grateful for the praise but gives a lot of credit to her teammates. She stated, “Overall, it’s a team sport and knowing that every person is playing their role right now makes it easier to go after hitters and helps me relax on the mound.”
Weinberg has been on the roster for three years and has endured the ups and downs of the program. Last year, the Stags finished with a disappointing 10-14 record in the MAAC and a 14-33 record overall. To explain the recent success, the junior pitcher stated, “I think our team has come together very well this year after coming off not making the playoffs last year. I think we all collectively came into this season wanting to win, and we are showing that in every game we play.”.
The end of the season is rapidly approaching, with the final home game being slated for April 27 and the last matchup being scheduled for May 3. The team should have no problem qualifying for the MAAC playoffs, as the top eight teams will qualify. However, if they outperform themselves and secure the regular season championship, then the Stags could host the MAAC playoffs on their home turf. The team is relatively dominant at Alumni Field with a record of 6-2. Weinberg admitted, “Playing at home just brings a different vibe to our games. It feels good knowing that we are defending our home field and makes us not want to lose even more.” She continued, “We know we have to perform no matter where we are and that has translated to our games.”