The Lehigh Mountain Hawks softball team opened Patriot League play with two comeback victories in a doubleheader against the Colgate Raiders on Sunday at Leadership Park in Bethlehem.
The Mountain Hawks (12-14, 2-0 Patriot League) battled back from a four-run deficit in Game 1, scoring seven runs in the fifth inning, to secure a 10-5 win.
Lehigh took the second contest, 5-3, after having trailed 3-0 in the first inning.
The two wins mark eight in a row against the Raiders (10-17, 0-2 Patriot League) and puts the all-time series at 94-31 in Lehigh’s favor.
“Patriot League games always feel a little different,” Lehigh coach Fran Troyan said. “We know league games are going to be tough and competitive, and the other team is going to fight. Colgate fought hard, but we fought just a little bit harder than they did today.”
By the time Lehigh had started league play last year, they’d already won 19 games — including a win over seventh-ranked Alabama — and senior Katelyn Young had pitched the first no-hitter for Lehigh in four years.
It’s been a slower start to this season. But with two wins Sunday, the Mountain Hawks and their newcomers are starting to find their footing.
Game 1: Lehigh 10, Colgate 5
Lehigh’s first Patriot League win came by way of pitching ace Katelyn Young, who improved to 7-7 on the season with the complete game victory.
But it wasn’t without some bumps. Young fell behind in the second inning, giving up four runs after walking the first two batters and surrendering a base-clearing double to Colgate first-year Nora Megenity.
“I knew I had to bounce back from that (inning),” Young said. “But I also knew that my teammates had my back, and I knew I could count on the hitters.”
Young gave up only one run the rest of the game.
Graduate student outfielder Emily Cimino drove in two runs on two singles in Lehigh’s seven-run fifth inning. She finished the day with three hits and five RBIs.
Cimino is joined in the outfield by fellow graduate student and roommate, Josie Charles, who had two hits and three RBIs of her own.
Two of Charles’ three RBIs came on a single in the sixth inning that put Lehigh up 10-5. Young pitched a scoreless seventh to secure the win.
Game 2: Lehigh 5, Colgate 3
Chloe Hess started Game 2 in the circle for the Mountain Hawks.
Last year, Hess led all Lehigh pitchers with a 2.21 ERA and a 15-5 record, but this year has struggled to a 6.85 ERA.
Hess allowed six straight hits and three runs to start the game before Troyan looked to junior Maria Urban in relief.
Urban recorded three straight outs to get Lehigh out of the jam.
The Mountain Hawks bats answered back with three runs of their own on four straight hits to start the inning, followed by a two-run single from first-year Holly Lovett.
The game remained tied at 3 until Cimino smacked a two-run triple to put the Mountain Hawks up 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Young returned to the circle in the bottom of the sixth after Urban gave up a leadoff double to Raiders graduate student Adrienne Nardone.
“I knew I had to be mentally tough,” Young said. “It’s hard for me to refocus once I’ve already pitched, but (Troyan) told me to ‘lock in.’ and that’s what I did.”
Young retired the next three Colgate batters without allowing the runner to advance and pitched a scoreless seventh to solidify the win.
“We’ve got a tremendous fighting spirit,” Troyan said. “We were down 4-0 in the first game, 3-0 in the second game, and we came back and fought hard.”
Lehigh and Colgate wrap up the three-game series 1 p.m. Monday at Leadership Park.
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