Union's softball program has enjoyed a good deal of success throughout its 28-year history. Among the first group of intercollegiate varsity teams sponsored by the College in 1976, the Dutchwomen were invited to their first New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association postseason tournaments in 1981 after finishing the regular season with a 7-6 record under second-year head coach Jane Hopkins.
From 1984 through 1989, Charlyn Robert guided the team to a six-year record of 52-34 (a winning percentage of .605). Her 1985 and 1986 teams both finished with 12-win campaigns to set what was then the Union standard for victories in a season (breaking the previous best of eight). Four of her teams went to the state tournament with the 1985 squad finishing a program-best (at the time) third.
Suzanne Zaloom-Pedone headed the squad from 1990 through 1995, compiling an overall record of 80-70. Her teams of 1991 (17-5) and 1994 (21-16) established Union records for wins in a season while her 1991 squad was became only the second Dutchwoman team in any sport to earn the state tournament's No. 1 seed (the 1979 field hockey team was also seeded first). The softball squad finished second in the 1991 tournament, losing to Brockport, 5-2, in the title game.
Now in his sixth season as head coach, Pete Brown has seen his previous five seasons rewrite the Union softball record books. Invited to the state tournament each of the last four years, the 1999 Dutchwomen established the college record for wins in a season at 26. The 2001 squad captured the program's first state championship while finishing
with 22 victories. Brown's teams of 1999 (26-11), 2000 (20-13) and 2001 (22-11-1) became the first trio in the program's history to post three consecutive 20-win seasons.
Coming into the 2003 season, Brown and assistant coach Brian Speck have guided Union's softball season to an overall record of 103-65-2, a winning percentage of .612.
While the program has certainly enjoyed more than its share of success over the years, if the 2003 team's success is any indication….Union softball fans “haven't seen anything yet!”
“This is the best team I've been involved with because our pitching is so good and we are the deepest we have ever been and also more athletic than ever,” said Brown, who has seen this year's team win 12 of their last 13 games while posting an overall record of 17-5. What makes this year's record, and Brown's praise, even more remarkable is the fact that the
2003 Dutchwomen have just two seniors on their roster…and no juniors. In fact, nine of the 11 freshman that make up the 17-player roster have been in the starting lineup for at least half of the Dutchwomen's 22 games.
“This is the best team I've been involved with because our pitching is so good and we are the deepest we have ever been and also more athletic than ever,” said Brown, who has seen this year's team win 12 of their last 13 games while posting an overall record of 17-5. What makes this year's record, and Brown's praise, even more remarkable is the fact that the 2003 Dutchwomen have just two seniors on their roster…and no juniors. In fact, nine of the 11 freshman that make up the 17-player roster have been in the starting lineup for at least half of the Dutchwomen's 22 games.
Freshmen pitchers Abby Arceneaux (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) and
Jackie Coffey (Boston, MA/Boston Latin) have combined for a record of 16-2. Arceneaux, who is 9-2, has given up just 30 hits in 66.1 innings while allowing three earned runs (an earned run average of 0.32). Coffey, who is 7-0 with an earned run average of 0.62, has allowed five earned runs in 56.1 innings. They have combined for 105 strikeouts in 122.2 innings and allowed just 13 walks. Five of Arceneaux's wins have come as a result of a shutout while Coffey has blanked opponents four times. Last week Coffey pitched a one-hit, eighth-inning shutout against Rensselaer in the second game of a twin bill on Alexander Field. What was remarkable about the game is the fact that both Coffey and her Red Hawk opponent each allowed just two runners. Even more amazing is the fact that Union won the game without the benefit of a base hit.
Using the international tie-breaking rule, the last batter of the previousinning starts off on second base in every inning past the seventh until there is a winner. Freshman
Erika Eisenhut (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk), one of the fastest players on the squad, easily took third on freshman
Caitlin DelZotto's (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) sacrifice bunt. Sophomore
Melissa Marra (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) drove in Eisenhut with a sacrifice fly.
“We have a new hero every game,” said Brown. “This team has bonded well together. Everyone realizes that no one has a starting job locked up, except for maybe Abby and Jackie on the mound. Every player is pushed by someone in every game, every practice. With all the new faces we have on the roster this could very easily been a rebuilding year. I'm a bit surprised with how much we've accomplished in such a short time, but when I take a closer look I feel like we could have easily been 19-3 or 20-2 instead of 17-5.”
Senior co-captains Jill Ring (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) and Erin Lefkowitz (Amherst, NH/Souhegan) have provided the leadership stability necessary for a young team.
“I can't even begin to explain how much Jill and Erin have meant to this team, not only on the field, but in terms of their leadership,” said Brown. “They both have provided tremendous examples of work ethic, patience, and stability that has helped bring our freshman and sophomores along.”
Ring is a four-year standout who will take some team records with her when she graduates in June. Already the program's record-holder for career extra base hits (40)
before the 2003 season began, Ring has provided the Dutchwomen with 24 doubles (second all-time), 16 triples (first) and 11 home runs (tied for first).
She has 83 runs batted in (first) in 373 at bats during her 122 game career, which includes 118 starts. Ring has scored 79 times (fourth) and has 124 hits (fourth), 11 shy of Julie Cardettino's standard of 135 with at least eight games remaining on the schedule. Her current career batting average of .332 ranks 10th all-time.
While Brown is certainly more than impressed with the career he has seen Ring put together, he is quick to point out the rookie
Julie Gawronski (Dunkirk, NY/Dunkirk) is “one of the best hitters I've ever seen. Julie has the potential to challenge Jill's records over the next three years.”
Gawronski, who is the heir-apparent to the starting goaltenders position for the Dutchwomen's soccer team (which has been to the NCAA tournament each of the last four years), is the Dutchwomen's third-leading hitter with her .343 average and the team's top run producer with 15 rbis. She is also tied for the team lead in runs scored, with 12, while batting third or fourth all year.
Arceneaux is quite possibly the Dutchwomen's most complete player. Not only is she a top pitcher, the 5'7 right-hander is the team's leading hitter with a .441 average out of the leadoff spot. Arceneaux has scored 12 runs with five rbis off of her team-high 26 base hits.
Included in the Dutchwomen's starting Class of 2006 are third baseman Stephanie Rubino (Port Chester, NY/Holy Child), shortstop
Beth Carcone (Utica, NY/New Hartford). Eisenhut, who plays second base, DelZotto, and outfield, infielder
Cris Pasqua (White Plains, NY/White Plains), outfielder Katey Ratner (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown) and catcher
Alicia Gifford (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland).
One area in which Brown is particularly pleased is the team's overall improvement in the fielding department. Since returning from their week long trip to Ft. Meyers, Florida, where they made 40 errors in 10 games, the Dutchwomen have misplayed the ball just 12 times in the last dozen contests.
“The fielding has been great since Florida,” said Brown. “We have worked very hard on our fielding both as a team and as individuals. We came back from Florida, knowing that we beaten ourselves in a couple of games, determined to cut down our physical mistakes. We still make more mental errors than I'd like to see, but that is going to happen with a young team that is maturing as a unit.”
This may not be the year that the Dutchwomen get to carry Union's banner into the NCAA Tournament, but if this season is any kind of accurate preview to what is store for the next three seasons, this program will take its place among the very best in the Garnet's already successful history.