The women’s softball team defeated Grace College 3-2 in Clermont, Fla., on Saturday, continuing a strong start to the season for the team. The win marked three victories in a row for the Judges to begin their season. 

Pitching was the key to the team’s triumph as pitcher Samantha Wroblewski ’17 delivered a strong performance. Wroblewski threw a complete game in which she only allowed two runs, both earned. She also struck out four while only allowing 10 batters to reach base– three walks and seven hits. Two of Wroblewski’s credited walks were runners who were granted first base after being hit by a pitch. 

The game was Wroblewski’s second win of the season, the first coming against Mount Ida College on Feb. 22. The right-hander has an ERA of 1.08 and strikeouts per game average of 7.54 so far this season.

Right fielder Anya Kamber ’15 and shortstop Liana Moss ’17 each had two hits in three appearances and an RBI in the victory. 

Kamber remarked that the team was eager for the beginning of the season. “We were incredibly excited to get a chance to play a real game on the dirt after so many practices in preparation inside. The energy was very high.” 

The Judges started the game off well, scoring a run in each of the first two innings. First baseman Jordan Buscetto ’16 contributed an RBI in the second inning, scoring outfielder Madison Hunter ’17.  

Moss and Hunter contributed the two doubles for the Judges, with Moss’s coming in the fifth inning. Moss’s RBI scored third baseman Madison Sullivan ’16.    

Also with base hits for the squad were second baseman Madison Gagnon ’16 and catcher Cori Coleman ’15. Sullivan and Buscetto also each added a stolen base for the team during the close victory, with Gagnon being thrown out stealing once. 

The Judges were aware that this would be a tough test for them, especially at this early a juncture. “We were incredibly excited to get a chance to play a real game on the dirt after so many practices in preparation inside. The energy was very high,” Kamber remarked. 

Grace College’s pitcher, junior Alex Shipley, also pitched a complete game. Shipley allowed three earned runs in her seven innings, with eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts for the game.

Both RBIs for the Lancers came from freshman second baseman Hannah Herbster. One of Herbster’s RBI, came off of a scorching triple in the fifth inning that scored freshman first baseman Chandler Elliot.   

The team is prepared and enthusiastic for the challenges that lie ahead in the long season. 

It will stay down in Florida for the next week as it plays in the UAA conference championships.

Kamber commented about the rest of that schedule, “We are looking forward to winning UAAs and qualifying for NCAAs this year, we have high hopes that this is a very strong team.” 

The squad will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon with games against Rochester University and New York University.