The softball squad has won 21 of the last 22 games and everything is clicking…the hitting, the defense and the pitching. The Liberty League teams are very familiar with junior pitcher Jackie Coffey (Boston, MA/Boston Latin), who earned her third Liberty League Pitcher of the Week award this season. Coffey has now won 12 straight games and is 13-2 on the season after Tuesday's win at Hartwick. Last week, Coffey gave up a total of five earned runs in 27 innings and struck out 29 in the four games. She had a six-hit, five-strikeout performance against Utica, and a six-hit, 8 K showing against Oneonta. She also had an eight-hitter with six strikeouts vs. RIT and finished her week with a 10 K nine-hitter vs. league rival Rochester. To find Coffey's ERA, it would be wise to head to a lab on campus and check under a microscope. She had a 0.87 ERA for the season after last week's efforts, which ranked her 33rd in the nation in NCAA Division III. On Tuesday, she also was named the ECAC Division III Upstate Pitcher of the Week.
“Jackie is a gamer,” said Union Head Softball Coach Peter Brown. “She has great control and uses all of her pitches equally well. I have said this before; we have two #1 pitchers (with Abby Arceneaux). Jackie doesn't get flustered and always seems in control.”
Meanwhile, Coffey's battery mate, Catherine Kielb (Rensselaer/Columbia), has no trouble in supporting her pitchers with a big bat. Kielb hit .455 last week to earn the Liberty League Rookie of the Week award. The freshman catcher had six RBIs, two doubles and a home run for the week, and had multiple hit games three times. Kielb had two hits vs. Utica, three vs. Oneonta, and two hits with four RBIs and a round-tripper in a win at Rochester. On the season, the frershman catcher is hitting an even .400.
Another freshman who is getting better with experience is pitcher Mike Donovan (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull). The southpaw pitched a complete-game 6-3 victory over the Rochester Institute of Technology Sunday. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs. He had control over the Tigers in many ways, as evidenced by the fact that he walked only one batter. Donovan also struck out one for the first win of his collegiate career. He received this week's Liberty League Baseball Rookie of the Week honor.
The baseball squad, which knocked off previously 21-4-1 Oneonta on the road Tuesday, hosts the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. This contest is a makeup of a game that was postponed on March 31. Softball will close out the regular season with three straight days of doubleheaders, including two against Liberty League rivals. Sunday features a twinbill with Skidmore at 1 p.m., and Monday the #2 team in the region will host the #1 ranked team, Rensselaer, at 3 p.m. Tuesday will be the final home day, 3 p.m. vs. Hamilton.
The men's and women's crew teams head to St. Lawrence Saturday for the Liberty League Championships. Men's lacrosse has road games at Vassar Wednesday and Clarkson Saturday in league play. Women's lacrosse will host Hamilton Friday at 4 p.m. and St. John Fisher Saturday at 1 p.m. Winners of seven straight, the Dutchwomen are 6-1 in the Liberty League and are on the verge of clinching the regular season title and home field for the four-team Liberty League Championships.
Men's tennis is competing at the Liberty League Championships Saturday at St. Lawrence. Union is seeded #6 and faces #3 Hobart at 9 a.m. at the Sammis Tennis Courts. If inclement weather comes in, the teams will meet at 10:30 a.m. in the Newell Field House. 5th, 3rd and championship matches are Sunday.
The men's and women's track and field teams return to Clinton, NY this weekend for the Hamilton Invitational. That college was the site of last week's Liberty League championships, and the site where Union sophomore Hannah LaMoy (Gardiner/Walkill) won the high jump title.