The Roadrunners softball team returned from the Rebel Spring Games in Winter Haven, Fla. with a 7-5 record in the tournament over spring break. Ramapo outhit their opponents by a 106-66 margin in 12 games.
Second year head coach Bridgette Quimpo said that her young team was able go gain invaluable experience in Florida against quality opponents that should prepare them for upcoming NJAC Conference games beginning on Saturday against Stockton.
“We lost four games out of the five all by one run,” Quimpo said. “We’re definitely happy, we just know coming in what we need to work on moving forward to get us into our goal, which is to make the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs.”
The Roadrunners earned two shutout victories against Springfield College and the State University of New York Cortland by 3-0 and 6-0 scores respectively.
Ramapo came from behind in three straight games against Centenary College, Farmingdale State College and St. Norbert College to come away with decisive wins.
Centenary College held a 2-0 lead as the Roadrunners took the plate at the bottom of the fourth inning. Ramapo slammed home seven points in the inning and added two more in the fifth en route to a 9-2 victory.
The Roadrunners entered the fifth inning against Farmingdale State down 2-1, but tallied three points in the fifth, five runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh inning to earn a 13-2 win.
Ramapo entered the top of the seventh inning tied with St. Norbert 2-2, but exploded for six runs in the game’s final inning to take a 8-2 win.
“We broke it open during the fourth, fifth or sixth innings in those games,” Quimpo said. “Its good to know that the team is not giving up once the opposing team starts scoring runs. We’re not really concerned because we know that we’re going to be able to score later in the game.”
The Roadrunners roster this year consists of several young players, including six freshman, four sophomores, five juniors and two seniors; however, Quimpo said that she has confidence in the group, especially the pitching staff.
Quimpo said that freshmen pitchers Katrina Buczkowski and Christina Brizek will both be looked at as go-to pitchers this season.
“In my mind they are both number ones, we don’t have a number one and a number two,” Quimpo said. “We have two number ones and that’s really, really cool to have on our team.”
The Roadrunners will take their experiences from their games in Florida as they prepare for their upcoming NJAC Conference schedule, beginning on the road at Stockton this Saturday.
Last season, the Roadrunners finished 8-10 in the NJAC and failed to make the postseason tournament. Quimpo said that she is confident that her team can rise to the challenge and make a return to the NJAC Tournament for the first time since 2012.
“We played some really quality teams down there,” Quimpo said. “When you’re talking Messiah, when you’re talking Springfield, when you’re talking SUNY Cortland, Eastern Connecticut State; they were really good for us in our preparation for Stockton when we open up on Saturday.”
mmontal1@ramapo.edu
