The softball team headed into last Sunday's season finale with a record of 17-17 and after just having been shut out in the first game of a doubleheader against Bowdoin College. The team needed to win the game to finish the season above .500 and be eligible to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships. Led by a three-hit, two-RBI performance from utility player Marianne Specker '12, the Judges won the game 8-7 to end the season on a positive note and give themselves a chance to play in postseason play."It was really important," Specker said of the win. "It was kind of a make-or-break game; we really didn't want to get swept on Senior Day, so it was great to pull it out."

Specker, who was named the University Athletic Association player of the week for softball, also said that it was great to end the season with a strong performance.

"I was pretty happy to end on a good note," she said. "I had two RBIs in my last at-bat, so it was nice to finish strong."

Specker has played a huge role for the team all season long. Her .384 batting average and .483 on-base percentage lead the Judges, and she is third on the squad with 17 RBIs. Perhaps the best indicator of her value to the team is that she batted .491 in the team's 18 wins this season and hit just .238 in its losses.

Though she said that coach Jessica Johnson already asks juniors to play a significant leadership role on the team, she said that she and the team's other current juniors would need to step up next year.

"We're losing a lot of seniors next year, so it will be interesting having to step up and take a leadership role, but I have confidence that we can step into the role," she said.