Softballers Debut, Trounce MIT, 16-5

"We're going to be making history all day long, you guys," starting pitcher Nancy Boutilier reminded the women's softball team yesterday at MIT, moments before the start of the squad's first ever varsity contest.

The history they made will, with any luck for the Crimson nine, repeat itself throughout this season, as they pounded out 13 hits to dump a very unprepared Engineer squad, 16-5.

The Crimson got off to a fast start with a five-run first inning which featured aggressive baserunning and several Engineer miscues.

Every Man for Himself

Leading off, centerfielder Ellen Jakovic drew a walk, promptaly stole second and then advanced to third when the catcher's throw sailed into center. A sufficiently rattled MIT hurler proceeded to give shortstop and co-captain Lisa Bernstein a free pass to first.

After Bernstein pilfered second, third baseman Pat Horne put her name in the record books by delivering the squad's first official hit and RBI with a single up the middle, scoring Jakovic. Not to be outdone by Jakovic and Bernstein, Horne then stole second.

Clean-up hitter Elaine Holouch's single to left brought Bernstein home from third, while an errant throw from the left-fielder enabled Horne to score the third run of the inning.

First baseman Marlene Schools followed with a walk, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch which allowed Holpuch to score all the way from second base.

Downshift

Engineer pitcher Carolyn Atwood finally retired her first batter when co-captain and right-fielder Betty Ippolito popped up to second. Catcher Gill Raney followed with an RBI groundout, scoring Schoofs, and Alissa Friedman, the eighth Crimson batter to go to the plate, ended the inning with a ground ball to the pitcher.

Capitalizing on five Engineer errors, three wild pitches and six base on balls, the batswomen tallied 11 more runs, scoring at least once in every inning but the second.

Equally impressive with their leather as they were with their lumber, the squad committed only two errors and turned in some exceptional fielding plays. Shortstop Bernstein caught an MIT baserunner in a superbly executed rundown. Fearless catcher Raney kept the Engineer-baserunners honest with frequent and accurate throws to first, and in left, Holpuch--the starting center on the women's hoop squad--displayed an extraordinary throwing arm.

On the mound, Boutilier was in total control, yielding only two hits and one unearned run until the seventh when MIT scored four times with three doubles and a single.