WATERVILLE — After opening its NESCAC East Division slate with a 2-4 record, the Bowdoin College softball team traveled to rival Colby College for a weekend three-game series, looking for a bit of momentum.

A three-game sweep of the Mules, followed by a doubleheader triumph over Husson on Sunday, gave Bowdoin five wins in three days.

Bowdoin started strong, scoring seven fifth-inning runs for an 8-1 victory on Friday. Saturday and Sunday featured doubleheader sweeps, including two more from Colby on Saturday, that improved Bowdoin to 19-10 overall, 5-4 in NESCAC East.

With four teams making the East Division postseason, Bowdoin’s series win over Colby gives the Polar Bears a solid standing.

“Playing Trinity and Tufts, we may have had those losses (Bowdoin dropped two of three in each series), but one of those games in each series were by one run and we had opportunities,” said Bowdoin coach Ryan Sullivan. “We know that we need to be better, but we are a very young team with a lot of first years and sophomores out here. We are learning all the time.

“Both Trinity and Tufts are really good, we were on the road, and you have to play a high-level of softball in all three weekend games.”

Bowdoin pitcher Samantha Roy was on early, striking out eight over four perfect innings on Friday. The game was supposed to be played at Bowdoin, but the unplayable field forced the entire series to Colby’s turf field.

A rise-ball pitcher, Roy has worked to use other pitches to set up her most successful pitch. Her ability to work the inside and outside corners kept the Mules off-balance.

“As a senior, her game has evolved from being just a rise-ball pitcher, keeping them off-balance. She really kept them off-balance,” said Sullivan of Roy.

“I like to use the rise-ball, but I have a catcher that is trying to help me mix it up a bit more, making the rise-ball work well,” added Roy.

Roy was locked in pitcher’s duel with Mules hurler Lucie Cunningham, who held the Polar Bears without a hit through four innings.

In the fifth, Bowdoin broke the ice, with Samantha Valdivia lifting a long home run to left field for a 1-0 lead. Valdivia felt an adjustment at the plate helped her to square up a Cunningham offering.

“What we need to do with slower pitching is wait on it,” said Valdivia. “My first at-bat, I swung too early and had a pop up. The second time, I waited a little bit more than I typically do or even like to. That home run allowed us to break the ice, and I have a lot of confident in our pitching.”

Cunningham had a chance to escape the inning after Natasha Fingar walked and Andrea Derso singled. With two outs, a ground ball by Karlye Pallotta was misplayed for an error, allowing Fingar to score and former Mt. Ararat High School standout Katelyn Cox to advance to third. Kasey Cunningham followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead, and Caroline Rice delivered two more runs with a single to left field for a 5-0 lead. Allie Rutz ended Lucie Cunningham’s outing (4 2/3 innings, seven runs, one earned, two walks, five hits) with an RBI double, and Maddie Rouhana drove in the final run of the frame with a single for a 7-0 Bowdoin lead.

Colby scratched a run across in the sixth as Holly Lallis reached on a bunt and later scored on a Bowdoin error.

But, Roy was tough from there, closing the game by striking out four of the final Colby hitters to finish with 13 punch-outs. The Mules managed just two hits.

‘Once we scored seven, it gave us that cushion. I had my teammates behind me today,” said Roy.

“Sam battled throughout, and those runs allowed her to relax,” said Sullivan.

Bowdoin tacked on a one more run in its final at-bat, with Caroline Sablone tripling and coming home on a bunt single by Kasey Cunningham.

Saturday sweep

Bowdoin picked up 9-3 and 8-7 victories on Saturday over Colby.

In the opener, Ruby Siltanen blasted a two-run home run for a 4-1 Polar Bear lead in the third.

Bowdoin put the game away with a five-run seventh, with Cox and Pallotta driving in a run each and Rice picking up a pair of RBIs with a two-run triple.

Rutz pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, for the win. Siltanen closed the game with four strikeouts in relief.

The Polar Bears trailed throughout in the nightcap as Colby grabbed a 4-2 lead after three.

Dorsa tied the game for Bowdoin with a two-run home run, but the Mules gained a 5-4 edge in the home half of the fourth.

Tied 8-8, Rouhana’s RBI single gave the Polar Bears a 9-8 lead. Roy closed it out from there, firing three scoreless frames for the win.

Husson Sunday

Played at Bangor, Bowdoin ran its winning streak to six with 9-1 and 2-0 victories over Husson.

Bowdoin used a five-run third inning to take control in the opener, with Rice, Rutz and Valdivia each driving in a run. Rouhana’s two-run double completed the big inning.

Roy made it three mound wins on the weekend, tossing five innings on seven hits and four strikeouts.

In a low-scoring nightcap, Bowdoin scored two unearned runs in the fourth for the win. Rouhana doubled and scored on a Husson miscue, and Valdivia later trotted home on a second Eagles error.

Siltanen allowed just three hits for the win with five strikeouts. Pallotta, Rice and Rouhana were each 2-for-4 at the plate.

Bowdoin hosts Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday for a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.

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