WATERVILLE — The Colby College softball team is beginning to get it together at the right time.
With 6-0 and 11-0 victories over visiting University of Maine at Farmington on Tuesday afternoon, the Mules (11-8) have won 5 out of their last six games. Colby begins New England Small College Athletic Conference conference play on Friday against rival Bates College of Lewiston.
“I’m glad we’re all peaking at the right time, it was kind of scattered during our spring trip,” Colby head coach Terren Allen said. “Right now they’re seeming to find a better lineup and a better rhythm and flow throughout the game. I’m excited about that.”
Colby has had no problem swinging the bats this season. It entered Tuesday with a .321 batting average, having scored 90 runs while racking up 82 RBIs. Four players are hitting .340 or better, and five are hitting at least .311. Junior pitcher/designated hitter Amanda Cabral leads the club with a .405 average, two home runs and 15 RBIs. In the second game of the doubleheader against the Beavers (1-11, 0-0 North Atlantic Conference), Sophomore catcher Chloe Wilcox — who entered the day with a .340 average and 15 RBIs — cracked her first two home runs of the season.
“What really feels good is, even if you don’t get a hit, everybody has each other’s backs,” Cabral said. “Especially the middle of the lineup. We all have a lot of RBIs on the season, so it feels really good. We’re putting in a lot of effort, so it’s really feeling good to see it pay off.”
“We’ve been practicing a lot, especially in pressure situations with runners on base,” Allen added. “I think they’re capitalizing well. They’re enjoying the process of hitting, rather than just the outcome, so I think that kind of capitalizes what they’re doing, too.”
UMF’s Megan Wilson dives back safely into first base as Colby’s Colleen McAvoy swipes with the tag during a softball game Tuesday at Colby College in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
Colby has also been pitching well of late. On Tuesday, junior Sam Ahlholm hurled a three-hit shutout, striking out seven UMF batters. Colby’s top pitcher this season is sophomore Abby Orso of York, who pitched the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader and struck out 12 batters in five innings. She entered the game with a 4-2 record and a 1.91 ERA.
Still, Allen knows the Mules have work to do before the end of the regular season.
“We still have a lot to improve on,” Allen said. “A lot of little things to work on. But they’re enjoying the process and that’s what it’s all about. They’re enjoying their first full season back after COVID, so that’s huge for us.”
“If we want to be successful, I think we need to work on pitch selection (offensively), things like that,” Cabral added. “Really seeing the ball, because everyone has really good swings.”
Dave Dyer — 621-5640
ddyer@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @Dave_Dyer
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