Baseball 4-1 on the Week, Sweeps Bates
Splitting non-conference action early in the week (win over UMF 25-3, loss to USM 4-14), Colby entered its second weekend of conference play looking to pick up a few games against the Bobcats.
The Mules didn't just sweep the weekend against Bates (15-4, 9-0, 5-1), they outscored their opponent 29-5 to cruise across three games, advancing their overall record to 16-6 on the year. Currently sporting a 4-2 conference record, Colby sits in a tie for 1st place in the NESCAC-East Division with games against Bowdoin looming at the end of the week.
Sophomore Nicholas Thompson scattered three hits over seven innings Saturday, completing the series sweep over the Bobcats. Lowering his season ERA to 2.05, the seven strikeouts marked the second-highest tally of Thompson's young career.
Softball Tops Tufts, First Time Since 2006
The average onlooker can tell there is something special about this year's Softball team. They are hitting well, playing great defense, and the pitching has been stellar. For two weeks straight, Colby earned NESCAC POW honors with Abby Orso's perfect game two weeks ago and Chloe Wilcox's tear at the plate (15-18) last week. Facing the Jumbos in a three-game set this past weekend put it all to the test.
In the first game on Friday, the Mules got a huge monkey off their backs, defeating Tufts 3-0 and marking their first win over the Jumbos since 2006. Orso went the distance on the mound, allowing the lone Tufts hit in the first inning.
Despite falling in games two (2-7)and three (0-2), Colby has closed the gap in conference play. This year, four teams from the NESCAC - East Division will make the postseason, and the Mules are right in the thick of things with a 15-10 record, good for third in NESCAC - East.
Men's and Women's Tennis Sweep Bates
Colby's Men's and Women's Tennis teams took to Lewiston Saturday for a matchup against the Bobcats of Bates College. Last year they dominated Bates in their dual matches, winning 6-3 and 9-0 respectively. This year Colby kept the pressure on, with the men winning 6-3 and the women winning 7-2.
The women's team started off with a ferocious pace, sweeping the doubles matches to get off to a 3-0 lead. Lindsey Hernandez, playing singles from the 2-spot, fought hard for a 3-set victory (6-1, 5-7, 6-4). On the Men's side, Colby took five of six matches in singles competition, dominating the back end of the match.
Earlier in the week, the Men's team had a shot to take down the ninth-ranked team in the nation, heading to Brunswick to face off against Bowdoin. Despite a valiant effort, the Polar Bears defended their position and defeated the Mules 5-4. Joey Barrett, Jake Cohen, and Max Schuermann won their singles matches both days for Colby.
#4 Women's Lacrosse Dominates Bowdoin, Battles #1 Midd.
Colby hosted rival Bowdoin College midweek, looking to extend their win streak to ten games. The Polar Bears jumped out early, leading the Mules 2-0 after the first quarter and 6-3 just after halftime, but the constant downpour wasn't the only thing in the air. The Mules mounted an epic comeback, including a streak of eight unanswered goals to close out the game, 15-7.
With Saturday's matchup against the #1 Panthers of Middlebury circled on the calendar for weeks, Colby entered the game knowing they'd be in for a fight. Colby's leading scorer Annie Eddy made good on her 10th hat trick of the year, but the Panthers got out to a quick start (leading 8-1) and didn't look back. Although Middlebury took the win in this contest (13-5), these two teams are bound to find each other again.
Colby is now 11-2 on the season, good for second in the NESCAC.
Men's Lacrosse Celebrates Senior Day on Mayflower Hill
Facing 8th-ranked Bowdoin in Brunswick on Wednesday, Colby hung tight with the Polar Bears for a one-goal deficit at the end of the first quarter, trailing 5-4. Bowdoin would regroup and take control of the remaining quarters, distancing themselves bit by bit and finishing with a 20-9 victory.
Middlebury visited Mayflower Hill Saturday, and while the Mules played even with the Panthers in the second half, an explosive first half led Middlebury to an 18-10 win. After the game, coaches highlighted eight seniors and the support shown by their families over their time at Colby in a post-game celebration.
Colby is 4-7 on the year, ranked 10th in the NESCAC.
MV8 3rd, Women 5th in Worcester
Colby's Crew teams headed back to Worcester, Mass. for more races this weekend. Familiar with these waters from two weeks ago, Worcester is a popular site as the New England Rowing Championships (April 30) and the National Invitational Rowing Championships (May 8) will be held there in coming weeks.
The Men's Varsity-8 placed third behind boats from Trinity and WPI. The Women's field was a bit larger, featuring six boats from WPI, Trinity, Clark, William Smith, Conn., and Colby. Qualifying for the Petite Final, the Mules defeated the Camels by a whopping 45 seconds.
Colby returns to action in Greene, Maine next weekend to take on Bowdoin and Bates in the President's Cup.
Track & Field Split Squads in Connecticut
While the whole Track & Field program headed south to Connecticut, the Mules were split between the UConn Northeast Challenge hosted by the Huskies, and the Silfen Invitational hosted by Conn. College.
At UConn, the men and women both posted top results. Peter Martel led the way with a 4th place finish in the Pole Vault, and the 4x100 relay team of Lottie Franck, Fiona Mejico, Katie-Marie Roy, and Sade Greenidge earned 4th as well, one step off the podium.
At Conn., Tyler Morris led the way for the Mules finishing 2nd in the 5k, and setting a new school record in 14:20.80.
Colby returns to Maine next weekend for the Maine State Classic (Men) at Bates, and the Pine Tree Relays (Women) at Bowdoin.
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Tom Bartol, Joe Bianco P22, Cole Burkhart '24, Steve Cheney P25, Nancy Dauphinais '25, Paula Dauphinais '25, Gabe Dickens, Jamie Fiedorek '25, Steve Fuller @flyingpoint, Michael Garrett P23, Michael Maher, Anna Patten '23, Dustin Satloff '15, Ellie Sawyer P25, Aicha Thiero '24, Ben Wheeler