After a six-year drought, the Emerson softball team stormed back into the playoffs as a No. 6 seed, battling the No. 7 Coast Guard Academy Bears in a play-in game on May 5. The postseason berth came after a historic season for the Lions, who finished with a program-record ten NEWMAC wins.
Despite various opportunities with runners in scoring position, the Lions fell to the Bears, 7-0.
Both defenses made quick work of opposing hitters in the first two innings, including respective 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the first and top of the second. The scoring started in the top of the third inning when, with two outs on the board, the Bears hit a two-RBI double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead. They added another run on the next pitch, nailing an RBI double to left field. An RBI single to left field made it a 4-0 advantage for the Bears, and a ground out to right field ended the inning.
The Bears added another run in the top of the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead. The Lions, who previously got runners on first and second, loaded the bases for senior shortstop Sam Zanotti. However, Emerson couldn’t get on the board, as Zanotti recorded a ground out right to the Bears’ pitcher. In the top of the sixth, a two-RBI single up the middle extended the Coast Guard Academy’s lead to seven. With another chance to trim the deficit runners on first and third, sophomore pitcher Caleigh Sheehan hit a ball deep to center field, which was caught on a fly out to end the sixth.
The Lions delivered a three-up, three-down inning in the top of the seventh and got on base with singles by senior outfielder Carly Rosenberger and Zannotti, both coming with two outs on the board. The Bears then recorded the game-ending out to survive and advance. They would go on to lose to No. 3 Springfield on May 7, 3-2.
The Lions recorded six hits while stranding eight runners on base, while Sheehan had two of the team’s five strikeouts. Their 2025 campaign ends with an 18-17 overall record and a 10-10 showing in conference play.
