The University of Mary Washington softball team finished the 2009 season with a record of 25-16-1, and returned to the Capital Athletic Conference Championship for the third straight year. Led by school record holders in seniors Kirsten Rowell and Cathy Hull, UMW surpassed the 25-win plateau for the third time in four seasons, capping the outstanding careers of the senior class.
The Eagles opened the season by splitting a doubleheader at Randolph-Macon, and then picked up a loss and a tie against nationally-ranked Lynchburg College. These early season tests prepared the team well for its annual Florida trip, in which the Eagles won six of eight games, highlighted by a 9-0 win over 11th ranked Muskingum College, and with other victories over Heidelberg, Clarke, Methodist, Maryville, and Misericordia.
After sweeping a pair from Mary Baldwin College, the Eagles took three of four games at the Salisbury University Tournament, with wins over Swarthmore College, Cabrini, and Wilkes University. After splitting a pair of games with regionally-ranked SUNY Plattsburgh, UMW won four straight, with twinbill wins over Hood College and Wesley College in Capital Athletic Conference road games.
A pair of shutout losses to Messiah College preceded a three-game CAC win streak, with a sweep of Gallaudet University and a split with York College. The Eagles closed the regular season by winning three of four games, with a split at Virginia Wesleyan College and a sweep of Stevenson University, which placed the Eagles in a second place tie with York in the league standings. The Eagles won a coin flip to gain the second seed in the CAC Tournament, and defeated York, 3-0, in the second round of the event after a first round bye.
The Eagles dropped a 3-0 decision at Salisbury in the conference tournament, but bounced back to eliminate York, 2-1, in 12 innings and return to the league championship series against Salisbury. The Sea Gulls topped UMW in the first game, ending the Eagles’ season with a mark of 25-16-1.
Individually, Rowell closed what may be the greatest pitching career in school history, as she obliterated the school record book for season strikeouts (306), career strikeouts, season victories, career victories, and earned run average. She gained numerous awards throughout the season, including the regional player of the week, as well as the conference player of the week three times. Hull ended her career as the school’s all-time leader in hits, at-bats, runs, RBI, and doubles.
Junior shortstop Kaitlin Petrella led Mary Washington with a .412 batting average while starting 40 games at shortstop. The career UMW home run leader in three seasons, Petrella hit four home runs, with 12 doubles, 24 runs scored, and 25 RBI. Freshman Elizabeth Crowe led the team with six long balls and drove in a team-high 30 runs. Freshmen Morgan Lamon and Amanda Adams both hit better than .300 on the season as well.
On the pitching rubber, Rowell’s 19 wins ties the school record, and her 306 strikeouts blows away the former record. She posted a 1.46 ERA in 40 appearances, with 22 starts and complete games, and added four saves. Senior Nicole Foster successfully came back from shoulder surgery by picking up three wins, and Elizabeth Crowe and Stephanie Watkins both also saw time at the pitcher position.