PLYMOUTH – At 3-12, the Plymouth State softball team has been looking to rebound on their month-long roadtrip. Now, they can chalk up four losses to Mother Nature.
Inclement weather forced the Panthers to postpone both of their doubleheaders last week. The setbacks put Plymouth State out of commission for over a week, as softball had no other contests scheduled between April 2nd and April 12th, when they resumed play at St. Joseph’s in Maine.
The Panthers opened their regular season on March 19th, but nearly four weeks later, they have yet to play on their own field. A road-trip scheduled to last 23 games, the Panthers opened with seven-straight losses before winning two-straight in the final days of Spring Break. The Panthers then lost five of their next six before doubleheaders with Fitchburg State and conference-rival Eastern Connecticut were pushed back.
The conference doubleheader with Eastern Conn has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 23rd. Fitchburg State is a non-conference opponent, and is unlikely to be rescheduled. The Panthers had beaten Fitchburg in five of their six contests since 2001, with four coming by finals of 1-0.
Despite winning just three of their first 15 contests, the Panthers have shown a great deal of promise. Only three of their losses have come by more than two runs, and their conference record stands at 1-1, leaving plenty of opportunity to build momentum for a playoff push come May. The Panthers currently stand in sixth-place in the conference, which is where they must stay or rise from if they hope to return to the Little East tourney and vie for a playoff berth.
Plymouth State finally got back into action Wednesday at St. Joseph’s, and will continue their road trip Saturday in a conference showdown with Western Connecticut. The Panthers will take to D&M Field for the first time this season on Tuesday, when they battle rival Keene State at 4 p.m.