Softball Visits Florida For Rebel Spring Games

After losing all five games during the FAU Miken Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., the Columbia softball team will have a lot to work on over spring break. The Lions will head to Kissimmee, Fla., to play in the Rebel Spring Games, where they will compete against 12 nonconference opponents.

Going into spring break, the Lions will be looking to improve in all three major facets of the game—hitting, pitching, and fielding.
In order to succeed at the Rebel Spring Games, the Lions will need to pick up their offense, which was outscored 34-6 during the FAU Miken Classic. The lackluster offense was led by sophomores Jackie Ecker and Karen Tulig, who combined for seven of Columbia’s 17 hits over the weekend and also accounted for three of the team’s seven RBI.

The Light Blue pitching needs to improve as well. The only two teams to score fewer than five runs against Columbia this past weekend were Central Michigan and Stony Brook, who scored four and two runs respectively. The team ERA stands at 8.16, while opposing pitchers hold a mark of 1.54.

While poor pitching and hitting are mostly to blame for the disappointing opening weekend, sloppy fielding also affected the Light Blue this past weekend. The Lions committed seven errors to their opponents’ three. As a result, Columbia yielded five unearned runs over the course of the weekend, in addition to the 29 earned runs given up by the pitching staff.

First up for the Light Blue (0-5) is Bucknell (7-9), who have already settled in at the Rebel Spring Games. The Bison, who are coming off a 6-4 loss to Buffalo, have faced two Ivy league opponents so far—Penn and Yale. Bucknell defeated the Quakers 4-3 on Sunday, but fell to Yale 11-3 the next day. Columbia is scheduled to play Bucknell Friday morning at 9 a.m. Later on Friday, the Lions will face Butler (4-10-2). Butler has won all three of their contests in Kissimmee so far, beating Bucknell 7-6 and Yale 7-4.

Colgate (5-4) is the only other squad Columbia will face over break that has played another Ivy. Earlier this season, the Red Raiders fell to Dartmouth 2-0. The Lions faced Colgate last year at the Rebel Spring Games and came away with a 6-3 victory. In order to win on March 18, the Lions will need to pick up their ailing offense.

Army (1-8), Lafayette (9-3), University of Rhode Island (1-5), and Fairleigh Dickinson University (1-4) were all at the Rebel Spring Games last year as well. The Light Blue lost to Army, Lafayette, and RIU, but was able to beat FDU, 6-3.

The Lions also faced FDU at home last year, splitting a double-header with the Knights.

Rider (0-6), also competing at the Rebel Spring Games, faced Columbia in a double-header at Baker Field last season, and the Broncos were able to win both games.

Over the course of their Florida trip, the Lions will also face South Dakota (7-3), Sacred Heart (2-6), Wisconsin-Green Bay (6-2), and St. Peter’s College (0-1).