For the first time in the millennium, the Emerson softball team won against the nationally ranked MIT Engineers. With a score of 7-5, the Lions opened up their NEWMAC games with a statement, defeating the Engineers for the first time since 1999 and announcing the astounding accomplishment to the team afterwards.
The win marked an attempt to set a different tone for the team’s conference play, and a scrappy gameplan built off singles and walks. Emerson was on fire when they sprung from Rotch Field’s dugout March 29, easily securing three runs in the top of the second inning and holding a lead 3-0 deep into the game. MIT finally woke up by the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring three runs of their own.
In the final eighth inning, the Lions performed strongly under pressure. With the game still tied, sophomore utility Avi Kuperman delivered a clutch RBI double. Sophomore infielder Kari Sorensen and third baseman Riley Fasteau added RBI singles in the eighth inning, securing the Lions unforeseen victory 7-5.
After dominating the NEWMAC last season with a record of 16-4 for the number one seed, MIT is chugging along this year with a 5-1 record so far, good for third place. The Lions sit in ninth place with a 1-5 record, hopeful to end the season closer to last year’s 10-10 final conference record.
Sorensen declared home plate as Emerson’s own, going 2-2 throughout the game and leading her team in hits.
“We’re a young team, so beating them made us know that when we work together and our hardest, we can pretty much do anything and beat anyone,” first-year infielder Casey Yacovelli told The Beacon.
First years make up just under 50% of the softball roster, something senior infielder Kayla Nuehlen highlighted as both a blessing, and a curse.
“It was interesting to see how our dynamic would be on the field,” she said. “It’s a totally different game playing in NEWMAC.”
Nuehlen also highlighted the differences between the large numbers of graduates replaced by first years on the team.
“Last year we had six seniors who graduated. They were staples on the field,” Nuehlen added. “Now we have all these freshmen who have never played MIT before, and I think some of their naivety kind of helped.”
Recent graduates include Sam Zannotti and Jessica Gomez, who ended last season leading the team with 14 and 13 runs, and 35 hits each respectively. With two offensive powerhouses on to greener pastures, Emerson has adapted to playing without them this year.
The excitement and surrealness of the game did not pass Nuehlen by, as she is the only senior on the team.
“All my four years have been great experiences. I can’t imagine myself not playing softball in college,” Nuehlen said. “I probably wouldn’t be at Emerson if it weren’t for softball so it’s something I really appreciate.”
After the significant loss, the Engineers immediately regrouped for the second game of the doubleheader, tinkering their way to a 6-1 win. This loss for the Lions would be the first of a five-game losing streak as they continue on through the 2026 NEWMAC season.
Despite the losing streak skewing the Lions stats, the momentous win against MIT remains a promise of the team’s potential for the remainder of the season and years beyond. The players seem positive that the outcome of the MIT matchup is a key point in showcasing the team’s capabilities.
“We were very focused and locked in during the MIT game,” Nuehlen said. “Since then we haven’t been as focused, but I think we all want to bring that back and continue that kind of energy that we had for that game.”
For the second year in a row, the team has hope for its NEWMAC playoff return. While the losing streak hurts, it’s not indicative of what this team can do. Similar to the non-NEWMAC win the team fought for March 19 against the Emmanuel Saints when the Lions emerged with a 14-3 win. With promising young players around the ball club, the purple and gold have hope for the future, and the possibility to make a run this year.
The Lions next doubleheader will be against the 2-2 UMass Boston Beacons, on the UMass Boston field Thursday.
