Hamline’s softball program came bursting out of the gates to start off the spring season, with four straight wins in convincing fashion. The first two weekends of the season were played indoors down in Mankato, MN, which consisted of familiar non-conference opponents in Bethany Lutheran, Martin Luther, Buena Vista and UW-Stout.
None of these programs were a match for the Pipers and they cruised into spring break undefeated. The first day in Florida was a forgettable one for the Pipers, dropping the first game 1–11 against Rochester and then losing the matinee game against Chicago 1–5.
The next morning the Pipers bounced back by fighting off a late seventh inning push by New England and were able to escape with a 5–3 victory. The Pipers then lost to St. Norbert and Lake Forest 0–8 in both games.
Following the big losses the Pipers locked in and were perfect the rest of the tournament, beating Meredith 10–1, then defeating Ripon, Lawrence and Worcester State to wrap up their week in the sunshine state.
Some of the noteworthy performances that have led to the strong start have been primarily on the offensive side of the game. Junior infielder Gabby Tuhy has been a force at the plate all season long, currently with a batting average of .500 and an absurd OPS (On-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.183, leading the team by a wide margin in both.
Other noteworthy Pipers at the plate this season include junior Jenna Rubbelke who has hit .432 on the year whilst leading the program with 16 hits in just 12 games played this season. The third year leads the program in stolen bases as well going 7–7 on attempts this year.
Looking ahead the Pipers will exclusively face off against MIAC rivals, starting April 3 the Pipers will have a pair of doubleheaders each week until May 4. The program has yet to face off against an unconference foe this spring, leaving an unprecedented stretch of competition to close out an already successful season for Hamline Softball.