Coming off one of the finest seasons in school history in 2006, in which the team won 27 games and advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference championship game, the University of Mary Washington softball team entered the 2007 season with high expectations and the foundation of a winning tradition. As the season progressed, the Eagles relied on veterans such as Ashley Sifer, Kerri Spaulding, Sarah Axelson, and Jamie Clevenger, and saw the emergence of first year starters Kirsten Rowell, Katherine Davis, Melissa Bjorklund, and freshmen Victoria Moody and Kaitlin Petrella. This group led the Eagles to 24 wins, third most in school history and set-in place another solid cornerstone to the program.
The Eagles opened the season by splitting a doubleheader with Messiah College, winning 1-0 on a Rowell shutout in the nightcap, which started a season-long home win streak that reached 14 games before the Eagles split an April doubleheader with 14'h ranked Lynchburg College. In all, the Eagles finished with a 15-2 home record, and went undefeated in Capital Athletic Conference action at the Battleground.
After competing in a very competitive tournament in Virginia Beach, the Eagles traveled to Fort Myers, Florida for a week-long slate of games against teams from all over the nation. UMW won five of eight games on the trip, highlighted by a 6-0 shutout win over Salve Regina College, and back-to-back 8-0 wins over RIT and Emmanuel College. Those wins kick started a season-high eight-game win streak that included doubleheader sweeps over Mary Baldwin, Polytechnic University, and Wesley College.
The Eagles went on to sweep York College and Gallaudet University in conference play, and swept Villa Julie College before hosting Lynchburg on April 3. Playing the nationally ranked Hornets brought out the best in the Eagles, as Sarah Axelson's RBI produced the game's only run-in a 1-0 triumph in the opener. A four-game win streak to close the regular season included wins over Virginia Wesleyan College, Hood College, and Gallaudet. The season came to an end with a pair of losses in the CAC Tournament, but not before the Eagles successfully proved their mettle against many of the top teams in the region, adding 24 wins to the record.
Junior outfielder Kerri Spaulding and sophomore pitcher Kirsten Rowell were named to the All-CAC first team, and junior third baseman Ashley Sifer was named to the at-large team. Spaulding hit .312 with team highs of 13 doubles, four triples, 30 RBI, and 35 runs scored. Rowell emerged into a very strong pitcher, as she went 14-9 with a 1.68 ERA in 24 appearances, with seven shutouts, 118 strikeouts against only 25 walks, and an opponent batting average of only .230. Sifer batted .293 while handling the hot corner for the Eagles, adding 34 hits, 18 RBI, and 19 runs scored.
Other performances of note came from sophomore DP Cathy Hull, who led the team with a .358 batting average and 44 hits; freshman Kaitlin Petrella, who batted .320 with a team-leading five home runs; and junior Sarah Axelson, who hit .318. Emily Peisach and Melissa Bjorklund proved to be a successful platoon in left field, and junior Jamie Clevenger again ably manned center field and led the team with 10 stolen bases.
In addition to Rowell's success, sophomore Nicole Foster went 5-2 on the pitching rubber, with a 2.36 season ERA in 15 appearances. Foster allowed just 10 extra base hits all season, with 53 hits allowed in 62.1 innings of work, and 48 strikeouts and three shutouts. Freshman Katherine Matusik added five wins as well, with two shutouts in 17 appearances. With the expansion of the Capital Athletic Conference in 2007-08, the Eagles will face new CAC members Villa Julie College, Hood College, and Wesley College this Spring. These additions will push the CAC softball league's standings to seven teams, allowing for an NCAA Tournament automatic bid for the conference tournament winner. Hopes are high for a return toward the top of the league in 2008.