"We just came back from playing a week and a half of playing 14 games, so I think we were all pretty tired at this point," pitcher Kristen Rumley '15 said. "I think it will be good for us to get a day off tomorrow."
The Big Green jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first game with big hits from Katie McEachern '16 and Kara Curosh '14.
However, they gave up a three-run home run in the bottom of the third and then again in the bottom of the fifth. The team rallied in the top of the seventh, with Jonele Conceicao '14 driving in a run with a triple to left field, but it was not enough to snag the win.
Coach Rachel Hanson said she was disappointed with the team's performance in the first game. She thought they looked "flat," and told them to pick it up in the second half of their double header, she said.
In their second game, the Big Green again jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. This time, the team's pitching and fielding was able to hold Sacred Heart (14-9, 0-0 NEC) to just two runs, forcing everyone to hold their breathsand continue the game with extra innings.
The Big Green came out strong in the top of the eighth, with McEachern, Rhiannon Saucedo '15, Kathy Dzienkowski '16 and Conceicao each driving in runs. But Sacred Heart retaliated with five runs to win the game.
McEachern, who led the rally, jumped at the chance to be up at the plate in the final inning.
"I was so excited our coach let me hit instead of bunting the girl over like usual," she said. "We were all just super loud and cheering and being very obnoxious. It was a lot of fun."
Even though they did not win, Hanson said the team had small successes to celebrate from the back-to-back contests.
"We hit the ball well at moments," she said. "We had some doubles, some home runs, and one of our lefty slappers hit a triple."
After the game, the team discussed the loss and the importance of learning from their performance.
"We can't get too up during the season and we can't get too down," Hanson said. "It's a matter of how we're going to bounce back."
The players strive to maintain a positive attitude heading into the regular season.
"Even championship teams go through ups and downs, and today was just one of the downs," Rumley said. "But I'm confident that we will come back on Friday ready to go."
While the Big Green has so far secured mixed results, McEachern looks forward to beginning conference play.
"Our team has so much potential, she said. "We've just barely touched it. I think we just need to work on finding that going forward."
This twinbill marks the end of the team's season road opener and the start of their regular season. They will travel to New York on Friday for another double-header against Columbia University, followed by back-to-back contests on Saturday against the University of Pennsylvania.
