In the opening of the Patriot League Tournament on Thursday the Lehigh women’s softball team’s battle against Boston University was suspended in the bottom of the fifth inning due to heavy rain and multiple weather delays.
Lehigh trailed 1–0 despite outhitting the Terriers 4–1 before storms covered Army West Point’s Softball Complex.
Play will resume Saturday at 9 a.m., with Lehigh looking to erase the deficit and continue its postseason push. Then later that day, the Mountain Hawks will face either Army or Bucknell University in the double-elimination tournament.
Lehigh, led by coach Fran Troyan in his 29th postseason with the program, entered the weekend with confidence.
“We want to control what we’re doing,” Troyan said ahead of the playoffs. “If we pitch it well, play defense well and generate some runs, we’ll have a fighting chance to win the whole thing.”
Despite starting conference play 0-3, Lehigh (28–22, 13–5 Patriot League) is coming off a five-game win streak, including a sweep of Boston University to close out the regular season.
“We feel like we’re peaking at the right time,” senior outfielder Rory Dudley said. “We love each other and are taking each game one inning at a time.”
Senior captain Sydney Parlett echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the team’s chemistry as a strong spot.
“We’re obviously extremely excited, but above all, we’re just so grateful to have another opportunity to play together,” Parlett said.
Troyan said much of that fight begins in the circle with the pitchers, junior Chloe Hess and first-year Madison Finnerty.
He said the team’s seniors will set the tone throughout the weekend, as they have been great leaders throughout the season and will help everyone stay loose.
Lehigh entered last year’s tournament as the No. 2 seed and title favorites, only to fall short 1-0 to Boston University in the finals. This year, they enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed.
“There’s just a trust we have in each other,” Parlett said. “If someone doesn’t get the job done, there’s somebody right behind her ready to pick her up.”
That sense of support is felt by the younger players as well. First-year utility player Kelly Fricker, who is making her Patriot League tournament debut, said the team’s bond is what gives her confidence under the bright lights.
“I just don’t see how any other team could want this more than us,” Fricker said. “We’re going to give it our best shot and enjoy every moment we have left.”
Fricker credits the team’s captains — Parlett, Dudley and senior Julia Mrochko — for creating an environment that’s both competitive and close-knit.
“They’ve done everything they can to help us succeed and have fun,” Fricker said. “The leadership on this team is just incredible.”
For the seniors, a chance at the Patriot League Title holds even more weight as they finish up their careers at Lehigh.
“To bring home a championship my senior year would be a dream come true,” Dudley said. “It would mean that the work we put in to create a ‘shared effort, shared joy’ environment was worth it.”
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