The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Hawks softball team has kicked off their season with an impressive 5-3 record. The Hawks have demonstrated their talent and strength on the field, sweeping their first doubleheader against the Montgomery College Raptors on March 4, winning Game 1 11-9 and Game 2 11-5.
Madison Jury, an outstanding player for CSM, showcased her skills in Game 2 with a four-RBI game, hitting 4-5 at the plate. Though they couldn’t hold the momentum, the Hawks split their next three doubleheaders against the Hagerstown Community College Hawks, the Howard Community College Dragons, and the SUNY Orange Colts.
On March 15, CSM faced off against Hagerstown and secured a 9-2 win in Game 1, with Jury hitting 2-2 with a run scored and three RBIs. In Game 2, the Hawks lost 15-13, but every CSM batter managed to record at least one hit. Madison Kavlick went 2-5 with five RBIs and a run scored, while Elaina Ayers contributed with a 2-3 record, four runs, four RBIs, and two walks.
The Hawks bounced back on March 18, with a 11-7 Game 2 victory over Howard. Cameron Guy shone with a two-home run performance, recording five RBIs, three runs, and a walk, hitting 3-4 at the plate. Abby Norris also contributed three RBIs with an impressive 4-4 record.
On March 19, CSM played against SUNY Orange and emerged victorious in Game 1 with a 10-8 score. Lacey Bateman was the star of the game, hitting 3-3 with five RBIs and pitching a complete game, striking out nine Colts and walking one.
Bateman leads the team in both hitting and pitching categories, with a .552 batting average, .600 on-base percentage, and 16 hits. As a pitcher, she boasts a 4.03 ERA, a 4-1 record, and has thrown four complete games with 43 strikeouts and three walks over 33.0 innings pitched. On March 15 against Hagerstown, Bateman pitched her season-high with 15 strikeouts, which is the most strikeouts recorded by a CSM pitcher in a game since at least 2012-13.
Guy and Ayers have each hit two home runs so far, and Ayers leads the team in slugging percentage at .778 and RBIs with 11.
The Hawks’ next game will be on March 31 at Delaware Technical Community College.