Strong Florida Trip for PSU Softball
Weston Atwood
For The Clock
watwood@plymouth.edu
Plymouth State softball currently sits at 8-8 this season after having their strongest spring break Florida trip since 2008. Hoping to bounce back from a 17-23 season in which they barely missed the playoffs; this year’s team is starting to look exceptionally strong.
The Panthers have seen a good early offensive showing from junior Abrie Davis (Amherst, N.H.) who leads the team in RBI’s with eight and is currently batting .313. Freshman pitcher Caitlyn Miller (Lee, N.H.) has also started out well on the mound for the Panthers. Miller has gone 4-1 this season with a sporty 1.84 earned run average. Not far behind Miller is junior Allison Moylan who also boasts a sub two ERA at 1.86. Coach Bruce Addison enters his 14th year at the helm while the team is captained by seniors Rachel Morrissey (Salem, N.H.), Emma Rhodes (Rochester, N.H.) and junior Nina Murray (Saugus, MA.).
Plymouth started their season in Clermont, Florida on March 17th sweeping the day beating Rutgers-Newark, 5-4, and MCLA, 6-1. They would fall the next day to both Tufts and Westfield State getting shutout in both games. The offense would wake up the next day against Colby when the Panthers would pick up the 5-2 victory before losing to Bowdoin in the nightcap, 9-1. Plymouth would split once again beating Worcester State, 4-3 before falling to St. Olaf, 7-4. After a much-deserved day off the Panthers would return to action and sweep both Wesleyan, 5-3, and Carleton, 2-1. Babson defeated the Panthers 11-2 in six innings before Plymouth would beat Washington & Jefferson, 6-4. On the final day of the Florida trip Plymouth would get another split beating the Panthers of Middlebury, 3-1, before losing to nationally ranked #7 Luther, 3-0. The Panthers would then play their first games in the Northeast region in a double header with Salem State. Salem would take both games, 4-2, and 5-1.
Not only have the fans noticed an early difference in this Plymouth team but so have the players. Junior Allison Moylan has noticed the change in the moral as well “The team chemistry is all around better this year.” Says Moylan. “I believe it will show a positive outcome for how the season will go.”
The Panthers will open their slate of conference games when they travel to UMass Boston on Sunday, April 2nd. Their first home game is scheduled for next Saturday, April 8th weather permitting.