The softball team split two sets of doubleheaders last Friday and Saturday at the Salisbury Invitational in Salisbury, Md. At a quick glance, that does not seem like a bad result, but it left the South Hill squad wanting more.

With the Bombers’ competitive drive, junior Katherine Wilson said the team is never satisfied with an even split but recognized the importance of the team’s victory in its final game of the tournament against Capital University.

“We needed that win,” she said. “It was nice to end the tournament with a good game.”  

In that game, the Blue and Gold scored two runs in the final inning to secure a 3–1 victory. Before playing Capital, Ithaca struggled in the late innings in their losses, making costly mental errors.

“We have to play the whole game from beginning to end,” junior first baseman Caitlin Ryan said. “We have been giving some games away, but [against Capital] we finished the game.”

The team will use its newfound confidence throughout the remainder of its schedule, while not stressing over its losses. Wilson said she expects the team to improve during the course of the season, eventually reaching its peak performance.

“It is much better to start a little slow and progress than to start fast and fade as the season goes on,” Wilson said. “There’s still a long way to go.”

By taking the win over Capital as a confidence-building cornerstone for the rest of the season, the Bombers will try to find some consistency as a team.

By stringing together multiple strong performances, the Blue and Gold will be able to make the improvements and progressions that will propel them as their schedule gets tougher.

Developing consistency involves challenges, though. One of the nagging challenges the South Hill squad is facing is the possibility of still having practice in Ben Light Gymnasium. Because of indoor practices as a result of the weather, it is almost impossible to get into a routine at this point of the season.

“Consistency is something we need to focus on,” sophomore third baseman Allison Greaney said. “It should be easier once we start getting into our regular schedule with two or three games during the week.”

So far the Bombers’ longest winning streak of the season is three games, a feat they have accomplished twice throughout the year. However, 14 of the team’s 16 games have been far from home in the southern climate of Florida and Maryland, but the South Hill squad will try to find some comfort in its upcoming games in Ithaca and around Central New York.

When the team does return home however, the Blue and Gold will be faced with the potential of the weather creating havoc, forcing the team to constantly transition from the playing field to the gym.

As the South Hill squad has discovered throughout the season, the hardwood floor does not provide the same hops off the infield dirt, and the fluorescent lights are nothing like tracking down a fly ball against a blue sky.

Physically, just hitting the ball is also affected by the weather. Ryan said the cold weather is tough to get used to because of the way her hands sting after the ball hits the bat.

Despite the weather, the Bombers were able to practice on the field during the week, and even with the temperatures in the 30s, the outdoor practices provided an emotional boost.

“It’s sort of tough,” Wilson said. “We needed that time to be out on the field. The gym can only do so much.”

With the chilly temperatures in mind, the Blue and Gold are still refreshed by the thought of playing their first games on Kostrinsky Field this week.

Having dropped a doubleheader against rival SUNY-Cortland yesterday, the Blue and Gold will travel to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday before coming back to Ithaca to play University of Rochester on Sunday.

If Ithaca is lucky, the weather will not play too much of a factor in any of those games. If the Bombers can build on their win over Capital and get their first hometown crowd of the season at Kostrinsky Field, the temperature may rise a few degrees in the home dugout.