Women’s Lacrosse falls to DeSales University on March 10.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
The Marlins’ offseason hard work has been put to the test. See their performance thus far.
Just past the halfway point in the semester, the Marlins spring sports teams have shown determination as well as the hard work they put in during the off season. Spring sports are underway, ascending into mid-season form.
Softball is having another strong season. The program started the season with a dominant 21-1 record. The Marlins are a perfect 8-0 in ODAC conference play this season. The impressive Marlins season also includes nationally ranked wins against No. 15 Berry College (Ga.) on March 8, No. 1 East Texas Baptist University on March 13 and No. 22 Moravian University on March 15. The Marlins have 14 games left to play in conference and are currently No. 1 in ODAC standings. With their dominant performance thus far, the program will no doubt clinch a spot in the playoffs. The question is, can they achieve a two-peat, adding the 16th championship to their belt?
On the other diamond, the baseball team has not seen the same success thus far. The Marlins are off to a 6-11 record and are 2-8 in conference play. They have snapped their 7 game losing streak after winning both games in their double header against Ferrum. The team remains optimistic through the struggles. “We are having a rough start trying to put everything together, but I think we are starting to figure things out,” sophomore pitcher Aaron Jackson said. The Marlins are currently last in ODAC standings with 12 games left in conference play, which gives them enough time to turn things around and eke out a playoff spot.
Oswego State challenges baseball at home on March 16. Softball wins double header versus Randolph College on March 26.
Emilie Dajc|Marlin Chronicle
The Marlins Men’s Lacrosse team has had a somewhat shaky start. They have started the season 3-6 and have recently fallen short in their first two games of conference play. The Marlins look to get back in the win column and gain some momentum for the rest of their season. They are currently ninth in ODAC standings, so the team needs to win their games against Bridgewater on April 2 and Guilford on April 5 in order to keep the playoff dream alive. They have not beaten Bridgewater since 2015 and Guilford since 2019. In order to come up with the wins, the Marlins need to create more offensive opportunities for themselves, a struggle in their last two losses, as their opponents had the advantage in number of shots, face offs and ground balls. Turnovers can also be a problem for the Marlins, averaging almost 20 a game, which is over 10 more than the turnovers they cause per game (8.89).
Men’s Lacrosse comes up short in game versus Shenandoah on March 28.
Meena Lennon|Marlin Chronicle
Through their first 12 games, Women’s Lacrosse are 7-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play. They started off the season hot, with big wins, scoring 20 goals in two straight games. After the 2-0 start, they fell short in the next 4 games. The Marlins quickly turned things around, however, winning 5 games in a row. This is a huge improvement from last season, as they have already bested their wins column from last year (5). In their most recent game versus Washington & Lee, who is ranked No. 9 in the country, the Marlins were dominated 1-21. Currently, the Marlins are No. 6 in ODAC standings and are on track to snap their three year playoff drought.
Men’s and Women’s Track and Field have participated in several meets so far this spring season as well as hosting the Virginia Beach Spring Break Invitational. After a very cold winter in Virginia Beach, both Marlins teams look to make a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor. Sophomore Quincy Dunn took first place at the Virginia Beach Spring Break Invitational in the long jump and triple jump for the men. Senior Jalen Davis took first place in the shot put in this meet as well. As for the women’s, sophomore Ella Clingenpeel took first place in the 800 meter run at VWU’s hosted event. Many Marlins claimed top 5’s at this meet in events such as the 1500 meter run, discus throw and hammer throw.
The Marlins Men’s Tennis team started the spring with a 5-7 record and are 3-2 in ODAC play. They had maintained a five game winning streak throughout March, but lost it after their most recent match against Shenandoah University, who is third in ODAC standings. The program currently sits at No. 6 in conference standings, which, if they maintain or improve this standing, will qualify them for the playoffs. The team is led by sophomores Tudor Vlad and Hovo Madanyan as well as senior Carlos Rullan Zarraga in singles. Carlos and his twin brother Rafael lead in doubles with a strong record of 8-2.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis faced off against Shenandoah University on March 30.
Laila Jones|Marlin Chronicle
Women’s Tennis has started the spring season 4-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play. They have recorded some impressive 7-0 wins this season against Shippensburg and Hollins University and have recently won against conference opponent Shenandoah 6-1. The team is very young, with only one senior on the roster. However, the young talent is very promising as freshmen lead the team in overall wins in singles, and a freshman-sophomore duo lead in doubles wins. Sophomore Lina Hackner believes the team is improving with every match played. “Last year, this team was a lot weaker…so I think with every match we are getting better…against Shenandoah, which is also a really good team like ranked four in the conference, and we won, like we beat them 6-1. So that showed that all matches we’ve played help us get better and get stronger. And we’re working on that in practice, and I think that comes with time. And it gives [us] a lot of hope for the rest of the season,” said Hackner. The Marlins sit at No. 8 in ODAC standings.
Women’s Golf finished sixth out of 12 in the Pfeiffer Spring Invitational. Sophomore Juliette Coffey led the Marlins finishing the tournament 23 over par. After that the Marlins hosted the Marlin Invitational. The Marlins finished second in this tournament in cold and windy conditions. Two Marlins finished in the top 10 as individuals: Coffey and sophomore captain Haley Davis. “We hope to take the momentum that we have been building and play well at Camp Lejeune,” said Davis. The Marlins head to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina April 4-6 to compete and hope to build some good momentum toward the ODAC championships.
Men’s Golf finished 9th in the Pfeiffer Spring Invitational. Sophomore Avery Barnes was recently named ODAC Men’s Golfer of the Week after winning the Marlin Invitational. Virginia Wesleyan placed second as a team in the event as William Peace University placed first. The Marlins will hit the road this weekend heading down to Jacksonville, North Carolina to compete at the Camp Lejeune Invitational. The ODAC Golf Championship is around the corner scheduled for April 27-29.
The season for Men’s Volleyball is coming to a close with two games left of conference play. The team showed great promise last year despite a losing record and have lived up to that promise this year, boasting a record of 16-8 (7-3 in conference). The team currently sits at No. 3 in conference standings and have clinched their spot in the playoffs. If the team maintains their standing, the Marlins will face off against Roanoke in the semifinals. In regular season play, the Marlins were bested by the Maroons 0-3. The sets were generally close, with the exception of the third set (16-25). The program faces Roanoke once more before the end of the regular season, giving them the time to make the necessary adjustments to keep the championship dream alive.
By Brian Madden
&
Coy Camiscioli
&
Sydnee Washington
