BUZZARDS BAY, Mass.- The Norwich Softball team opened their 2025 campaign with a doubleheader against Mass. Maritime Academy Saturday afternoon, marking the first games for Jacqueline Patts '00 in her second stint as Head Coach. In both contests, the Buccaneers came out victorious.

Mass Maritime was off and running early in game one, pushing across a run in the first, and stretching their lead to five by the end of the fourth inning. In the top half of the fifth, the Cadets shrank the deficit. Brianna Vitale (Rock Tavern, N.Y.) started things off with an infield single, eventually getting over to third. A free pass to Hailey Williams (Tamaqua, Pa.) put runners on the corners with one out for reigning Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Year Madison DeCota (Strafford, N.H.). DeCota hit a three-run home run to left field, making it a two-run game. However, the Buccaneers added five more runs to seal the game-one win.

Looking to get in the win column, Norwich got off to a hot start at the plate in game two with Williams shooting the right-center field gap for a leadoff triple. She came home on a two-out double down the left field line by Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) to give the Cadets an early lead. Mass Maritime answered in the home half, but Norwich jumped back ahead in the second. A one-out double by Kelcie Petrone (Redding, Conn.) set up Williams for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the third, Mass Maritime took a two-run lead which Norwich answered in the fifth. With one down, Courtney Thomas (Strafford, N.H.) laced a double to centerfield, which was followed by an Emily Munson (Angleton, Texas) single. Back-to-back doubles by McGinn and Rachel Kempf (Warwick, R.I.) plated both runners, allowing the Cadets to regain the lead.

The Buccaneers scored five runs in the fifth to take the lead for good, however, Norwich kept the game alive in the sixth to close the gap. Williams reached base again with a ground-rule double, and DeCota reached base before both came home on a Munson two-RBI single. The Cadets loaded the bases in the seventh inning, threatening to tie the game, but Mass Maritime sealed the deal, securing the 9-7 win.

All in all, it was an explosive day at the plate in game two with Williams (3-5 2 Runs), Munson (2-4 2 RBI), McGinn (3-4, Run, 2 RBI), Kempf (2-3 2 RBI), and Petrone (2-4) all tallying multi-hit games.

Norwich will come home in their next contest when they host Vermont State Lyndon in a twin bill on March 26 at 2 PM.