Softball Struggles in Opening Doubleheader

Exeter softball had a rough Saturday last week, dropping both games in their doubleheader at Nobles. They lost the first game 14-1, but were able to improve their offense for a 16-8 in the second.The duo of games were the first of the season. A scrimmage at Dana Hall School and a regular season matchup versus Tilton at home were both cancelled due to weather and field conditions. Big Red’s own field has been in rough condition so far this season and has limited the team to practice in the cage. The only time the team has been able to play outside was during their spring training trip to Florida.“I think [not being outside] played a huge role in the result of our games because it is very difficult to simulate game-like situations in the cage…, so we were very rusty,” senior captain Chloe Dubocq, pitcher of the Saturday game said."The matchup against Nobles also did the team no service. “Nobles is a top-notch team,” postgraduate Paolo Otero said. “They don’t lose very often. They’re a type of team that you can’t make a lot of mistakes, and you have to take advantage of the opportunities that you have. And we just couldn’t do that on Saturday.”Coach Nancy Thompson agreed. “Nobles is one of the best, if not the best we will see all season,” she said. “Their pitcher is a skilled and seasoned veteran, also one of the best we will see all season."Mistakes were clearly an issue for Big Red as they committed many errors, but that could have also been expected as the team played outside for the first time all season during the game. They also put more pressure on pitchers Dubocq, lower Courtney Gibeley, and prep Britt Chapman. As a result, their pitch counts ran up and, as a side effect of the cold, they let up a total of thirty runs in two games.On the offensive side, the team struggled in the first half of the doubleheader and only scored one run. In the second game, however, they were able to score eight runs on Nobles. The Bulldogs threw the same pitcher for both games, and Otero explained that was one of the factors of Big Red’s increased offensive output. “I think that [the team] might have seen [the pitches] more and got to really look at the ball. I also think that when we realized that we just lost fourteen to one, I think the gears kicked in,” Otero said.They were able to get enough offense early, in fact, they were leading 7-6 in the second game. After Dubocq came out of the second, the team’s wheels began to fall off as the next two pitchers let up four home runs and ten runs. They ended up dropping that game 16-8.The team is ready to put this day behind them as they look forward to a game against Worcester Academy. Worcester beat them in the playoffs last year 1-0 in extra innings. “For those who do remember the close game last year, I think they will want to win even more,” Dubocq said. Exeter is looking to pick up a win on Saturday at home at 3:00.