By Mike Henken, Staff Writer
Senior infielder Jackie Gore broke the Susquehanna school record for career home runs as the Susquehanna softball team traveled down to Florida for spring break this past week and went 3-5 against eight different teams.
“It was an amazing feeling finally breaking the record,” Gore said. “Last year was a rough year for me, only having two home runs and an overall tough season. I thought I was cursed.”
The trip began on Sunday, March 10 in Clermont, Fla. with the River Hawks taking on Amherst College, a 2018 NCAA Tournament team.
The Mammoths got off to a fast start in the top of the first inning, scoring a run off of a sacrifice fly. They then added another run after back-to-back errors but senior pitcher and captain Alexa Gonzalez then picked up her second strikeout of the inning to get out of a bases-loaded jam.
The second inning saw more of the same, as Amherst extended the score to 3–0 following a twoout double from Kate Kopatic.
In the fourth inning, Susquehanna finally got on the board when freshman catcher Katie Koch walked and then scored on an error. Amherst however, continued to find success, adding another run in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 4–1.
The River Hawks responded in the bottom of the sixth, trimming the lead to one. The late effort wasn’t enough however, and Susquehanna ended up falling 4–3 to the Mammoths.
Following the game against Amherst, Susquehanna took on UMass-Dartmouth. This time, the River Hawks struck first, as freshman infielder Kiara Bryant scored on a hit by pitch. Junior captain Kasey Bost then scored on a fielder’s choice to give Susquehanna a 2–0 lead.
UMass-Dartmouth then responded in a big way, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4–2 lead. The onslaught didn’t stop there, as the Corsairs scored two more runs in the third inning on a two-out single to extend the lead to 6–2.
Susquehanna was able to get one run back in the fourth after Koch scored on a single from Bost. The rest of the game was dominated by the Corsairs however, as they added three more runs over the final three innings to secure a 9–4 victory.
The River Hawks then traveled to Kissimmee, Fla. on Monday, March 11 for a two-game set against Washington-St. Louis and Worcester State. Susquehanna split those two games, falling to Washington St.-Louis 6–3 and beating Worcester State 11-5.
On Wednesday, March 13, Susquehanna faced off with No. 18-ranked Kean University. The Cougars struck first, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The River Hawks quickly responded though, scoring two runs of their own in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run from sophomore infielder Brittany Hebda. Susquehanna was unable to sustain the lead however, as Kean scored three runs in the third inning to take a 5-2 lead.
The Cougars would then add two more runs as opposed to Susquehanna’s one over the final three innings. Gonzalez was able to retire the final six batters, but the River Hawks were unable to climb back into the game, losing 7-3. Following the matchup against Kean University, Susquehanna played the Owls of Keene State. Early in the game, the River Hawks took a 1-0 lead after Bryant drove in junior outfielder Emily Lear with a single.
The River Hawks were scoreless for the next three innings but they remained in control of the game thanks to freshman Katie Murphy, who retired the first nine Keene State batters with six strikeouts.
In the fifth inning, the River Hawks were able to add two more runs due to errors, extending their lead to 3-0. The Owls added one run in the sixth inning, but were unable to overcome the strong pitching from Susquehanna.
Murphy finished the game with a season-best 10 strikeouts to lead the River Hawks to a 3-1 victory.
To conclude the trip, Susquehanna played two more games on Thursday, March 14, splitting against The College of Staten Island and Westminster College.
After a scoreless first inning against Staten Island, the River Hawks crossed the plate three times in the second. A pair of errors led to Susquehanna’s first two runs before sophomore outfielder Katherine Fahsbender drove in the third with an RBI double.
The River Hawks then struck again in the fourth inning as senior infielder Jackie Gore hit her 16th-career home run, setting the record for most home runs in Susquehanna history.
“Florida was great for a lot of people, and a lot of the underclassmen had a lot of opportunities,” Gore said. “We have an insane amount of talent, and so much potential.”
Susquehanna then added three more runs in the sixth and three in the seventh while only allowing a total of three runs to earn a 10-3 victory over the Dolphins.
Following a strong performance against Staten Island, the River Hawks picked up right where they left off against Westminster, opening up with a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as senior outfielder Jill Ahrens drove in both runs with a single.
Westminster then exploded in the fourth inning, however, picking up four hits and five runs to take a 5-2 lead. Freshman infielder Erin Bean responded in that inning with an RBI single to bring Susquehanna within two, but the Titans were able to hold the lead to take the game 5-3.
Despite struggling at times during the trip, the experience as a whole proved to be a positive one for Susquehanna.
“I think the biggest take away is the awesome team chemistry we have,” Gonzales said. “We get along well on and off the field, and it’s exciting to see how that has positively affected everyone’s performance.”
Next up, the River Hawks will begin conference play with a two-game set against Catholic on March 23.
Moving forward, Gonzales feels as if remaining mentally tough will be a key for the team.
“The team needs to continue to learn from mistakes,” she said. “Also, we need to get more mentally tough so we can close out games more efficiently. If we are able to do that, we will have a very successful season”
