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Samantha Losano is CCC Player of the Week for the week ending on March 3.

The women’s softball team has started their 2013 season 2-8 after making the Commonwealth Coast Conference playoffs last season.

ENC’s softball team began their season with their annual trip to Fort Myers, Fla. for the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The women played 10 games, including four games in one day.

Their season began on March 2, with a doubleheader against Regis College, a former CCC team.

The Lions achieved a 3-0 win in their first game. Kori Sorensen (Quincy, Mass.), who was 12-10 with a 1.90 ERA in 2012, won her first game of the 2013 season. Sorensen struck out five and allowed four hits in a complete game. She was awarded CCC Pitcher of the Week for the week ending on March 3.

In the same game, Samantha Losano (Elverta, Calif.), who was awarded CCC Player of the Week, went 2 for 3 with one RBI. Cayla Clinkscale (Winchendon, Mass.) was 2 for 4 with one RBI and one run scored.

Losano earned another hit and an RBI in the second game against Regis, a 5-4 win in eight innings. Freshman Britny Costa (New Bedford, Mass.) earned her first career victory in a complete game win. She allowed eight hits, three earned runs, and struck out five.

Despite a fast start, the Lions lost their remaining eight games in Florida, being shut out five times.

The Lions narrowly lost to the Wittenberg University Tigers 1-0 on March 4. Sorensen was handed her first loss after allowing only one run in 6 innings pitched.

Softball lost 8-4 and 5-2 to Northland College and Hiram College, respectively, before being shut out three straight games. The Lions lost to Newbury College, Wilmington College of Ohio, and Kenyon College 6-0, 3-0, and 7-0, respectively.

The final two losses of spring break came on March 7 to Olivet College and Penn State Behrend. The Lions lost 6-2 and 3-0, respectively.

Despite only winning two games, their trip to Florida serves as a learning experience and good team building time.

“We use the games we play in Florida as a learning experience of what we as a team need to work on to become better,” said Losano.

ENC softball was selected to finish eighth in the CCC preseason poll, the same place they finished in 2012.

“We have a much stronger team than we did last year, so I can only see us going further. Last year we made it into the second round of [the] playoffs and this year I want to see us playing in the conference championship,” said Losano.

Softball will play Newbury College again on March 16 at Pine Manor College. The doubleheader begins at 12 p.m. The Lions’ first home doubleheader is at 3 p.m. on March 22, against Salve Regina.