Poets’ Softball Swinging for the Fences
The Poets’ Softball team kicked off season action in a series against George Fox University on February 12.
They came away with a 2–0 start in two close match ups in their home opener to start the 2023 season. In these two games, the Poets had a combined 24 hits with. Junior Emily Adkison started the season off hot, earning six of the Poets’ 24 hits.
As it goes for the season, the Poets have exhibited a handful of stellar performances against their competition. The Poets are 16–7 in their 23 games played, 6–3 within the SCIAC Conference. On the season the team has hit 111 runs and 13 home runs with an on base percentage of .362. The Poets were on a hot streak between March 6 and March 12, going on a five game winning streak. They beat teams such as Manhattanville College, Alfred University and Buena Vista University. Now, the Poets are on another streak of six straight wins heading into this weekend. Their exceptional performances have them sitting at third in the SCIAC conference.
Junior Emily Adkison leads the team in hits (29) while Linsey Perry sits right behind her with 26 hits. These two women have contributed to the Poets’ success. Six other Poets have had more than double-digit hits up to the midway point of the season, those women being Marissa Flynn, Kelly Monroy, Lucy Brooks, Heaven Wolf, Maya Palos and Melissa Carrasco.
Two other players on the roster that have been pivotal to this team are Jamie Garvey and Katelyn Calvetti. Both seniors have been at the helm for the Poets pitching, having been standout in their performances on the pitcher’s mound. Garvey has been spectacular in 72.1 innings pitched with an ERA of 1.94. Garvey has accumulated 72 strikeouts, her win-loss record sits at 8–4 on the season. With 56.2 innings pitched, Calvetti has an ERA of 3.34. Calvetti has 28 strikeouts in her ten appearances.
So far this season, Poet players have been recognized by the SCIAC for their incredible performances. On February 13, Adkison was named the first SCIAC Hitter of the Week for the 2023 softball season. Adkison went 6-for-8 with two doubles, three runs, and two RBI in the two games she competed in. Just two weeks later, on February 27, Adkison received the SCIAC Hitter of the Week honors for the second time in the span of three weeks. Alongside Adkison, teammate Garvey was named SCIAC Pitcher of the Week during the same timeframe. Additionally, just over a week ago, Garvey received SCIAC Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in what has been an incredible 2023 season.
Assistant Coach of the Softball team, Mike McBride, emphasized the players abilities to step up when it matters. He, along with his fellow coaching staff, are proud of the team and believe that they have the chance to go far this season. A handful of players are giving it their all and stepping up to the mound. Coach McBride said “We got really big games coming up.” He added furthermore “We’re a really fun team to watch. We got good pitching, a really good defense. Also, everyone in the lineup can hit.”
The Poets have 12 more games left on their 2023 schedule. All their remaining games will be against conference foes as they compete in four series against Claremont-M-S, Pomona-Pitzer, Chapman and Cal Lutheran. Their final game of the regular season will be against Cal Lutheran on May 6. Their next home game will take place this Saturday, April 15th, against Claremont-M-S at 12 PM.
