Elaine Sortino doesn’t know how to lose.
This past weekend, the No. 25 Massachusetts Softball team swept the La Salle Explorers in their first Atlantic 10 doubleheader. The pair of wins lifted Sortino over the 800-win plateau, making her only the 16th coach in the NCAA (13th in Div. 1) history to reach this mark. Also, Sortino continues to extend her dominance in the Northeast as the only coach with 800 wins in the region.
After 23 seasons at helm of the Minutewomen (15-10, 2-0 Atlantic 10), Sortino has never had a losing season and is ranked 10th among active NCAA Div. 1 coaches in victories and 11th in winning percentage. The seven-time A-10 Coach of the Year has led the Maroon and White to 15 Conference titles, 12 NCAA regional appearances, and three trips to the College World Series. Through all the achievements, Sortino remains humble when asked about her most recent feat.
“To be honest, it really doesn’t feel any different,” Sortino said. “It gives you something to think about, but doesn’t mean anything. I mean, it was great win over La Salle, but how you play the game is what really matters.”
Sortino’s 800th win wasn’t the only highlight of the weekend. Senior ace Kaila Holtz put on a pitching exhibition in the first game. Holtz recorded the fourth no-hitter of her career, and was one passed ball away from a perfect game. Holtz also fired 10 strikeouts and allowed only one player to reach base. Holtz helped her cause with a home run in the game as well. Her impressive game gave the Explorers no chance of any momentum going into the second game.
The concluding game of the double-header was highlighted by the UMass bats, as the Minutewomen ran away to a 11-2 win. The team had season highs in both hits (12) and runs (11) in only five innings.
Senior Brandi Cross continued her consistent hitting, highlighted by a two-out, three-run homer. Cross finished with four runs batted in. Senior Emily Robustelli was on fire at the bat as well, going 5-for-8 with three RBIs and three runs.
Breaking out of a slump, catcher Jamie Cahalan caught fire, going 3-for-3 with a homerun and two RBIs. The other end of the battery held her own, as Kelli Arnold gave up four hits and fanned five Explorers.
