Softball Continues Their Win Streak
Riding into the weekend with a five game win streak, the Exeter softball team kept it going with a 12-11 road win at Brooks. The players averaged 12 runs a game while only allowing 4.8 to be scored against them.
Senior captain Chloe Dubocq has served and performed as the team’s ace. On the offense, senior Paola Otero has been phenomenal with three home runs, and the rest of the lineup has done well to power this explosive unit.
Even after a ten-day break following their last game, the team was far from rusty as they posted eleven runs on a team that had shut out their last opponent: St. George’s. Senior captain Weilin Chan has been a great leadoff hitter this season and continued with a home run in the winning effort. “She battles during every at bat,” said lower Sequoia Johnson. Senior Alex Betrus and Dubocq also had solid games at the plate.
Exeter’s team also limited the Brooks’ offense that scored eleven runs against St. George’s to only two. Another stellar outing by Dubocq stifled Brooks. “[Dubocq] is really focused and prepared for practice each day, which helps push the team and make us better as a whole,” said lower Allegra Grant. She was certainly focused against Brooks as she hit her spots and struck out more batters, 9, than she allowed base runners, 5. Exeter’s defense played outstandingly and did not commit one error.
The winning streak finally came to an end after twenty four against Andover on Monday. The team dropped the game 3-1, but it was nothing to be ashamed of. “Andover is the best team we have faced since Nobles,” said head coach Nancy Thompson. “[Andover] is a solid team across the board, very well coached, and we are very even;y matched.” Exeter had not faced a pitcher who throws as hard as Andover’s since the team’s first games of the year at Nobles. A costly walk and an error were the differences between a win and a loss for Big Red. Exeter’s offense struggled to get much done against Big Blue. Betrus led the effort with a double.
With four straight upcoming home games, the team will look to get back to their winning ways. “It felt great to be winning, especially by the margins that we have been. We need to keep bringing 110 percent to every game regardless of our record,” said Johnson.
The team’s captains (Chan, Dubocq, and Hannah Myers) continue to keep the team loose, while also making sure the squad’s focus stays on the field. Counting the numbers of foul balls directed at their head coach seems to be an example of the looseness of the club. “[Betrus and Dubocq] combined for a total of three foul line drives that almost killed [Thompson] at third base,” said Grant.
The next opportunity the team will have at getting back to their winning ways will be Saturday at 5:30 against Cushing at home.