Softball: One and Done

Lyndon State College Softball is now in transition mode after a first-round loss in the North Atlantic Conference playoffs.

The Lady Hornets barely made the NAC playoffs with a 3-13 conference record, meaning that the team had to contend with the superpower is Husson in the first round. The matchup played out as if it were on paper, as the number-eight seed Lyndon State College lost to the number-one seed Husson due to the mercy rule. Husson needed only five innings to secure a 10-2 over the Lady Hornets.

Sophomore pitcher Meghan Gadapee took the loss just any other game.

"It's (the mercy rule loss) just part of the game," Gadapee said. "You have to take the wins and the losses, no matter how ugly they are."

To Gadapee, it was a lack of execution that really handicapped the team.

"It was a tough game versus Husson," Gadapee said. "We were getting on base and really threatening, but we just didn't get the runs scored."

Play from the previous week was the main reason for why the Lady Hornets were stuck in such a tough position. The team was swept by Castleton last Saturday, though both games were entirely different.

Gadapee thought that the start in the first game, which resulted in a 9-0 loss to Castleton, really told the tale.

"We started off pretty rocky the first game," Gadapee said. "We were kind of cold up at bat, committed a couple of errors on the field."

However, Gadapee was lights-out in the second game, holding the powerful Castleton offense to two runs in eight innings of work.

"The second game definitely was a career defining moment," Gadapee said. "Unfortunately they scored (the winning run) off of a base hit, but it was really coming down to that moment."

Though the second game against was really close, a sweep at the hands of Castleton eliminated Lyndon State from anything but the possibility of an eight-seed. Fortunately, the Lady Hornets were able to sweep Green Mountain, which ensured a spot in the NAC playoffs. In the most dominating effort of the season, the team outscored Green Mountain by a combined score of 15-0 in just 12 innings of play.

"We struck early and often (against Green Mountain)," Gadapee said. "That basically kind of crushed their hopes right there."

The Lady Hornets need to be more consistent to avoid barely making the NAC playoffs again next season. In order to do that, the team will need to have more than just one returning player, which was the case for this season.

Gadapee happened to be the only returning player from last season, as the state of the team remains in flux from year to year. However, the loyal Gadapee remains hopeful that the team's foundation can stay strong for the future.

"As long as we keep together, keep practicing, build the chemistry, on and off the field, I think we're going to project a very successful season in 2013," Gadapee said.