Last weekend, the softball team took two out of five games in Fairfax, Va. Mother Nature took the remaining three. The weather shouldn’t be a factor this week though, as the Red heads south to the sunshine state to face Rider, Army, Augustana, Bethune-Cookman, Stetson, Ohio State, Central Florida and Southern Florida. For those of you like me who plan to be asleep for most of Spring Break, consider this: the softball team will be playing 13 games in the span of eight days.

According to senior infielder Elise Menaker 13 games is actually less than the team usually plays over the break.

“All of these games provide a great opportunity for all our pitchers to pitch a lot of innings and gain experience,” she said.

The 6-0 Red escaped a close one on Sunday against George Mason, as the Patriots committed four errors, allowing the Red to salvage the win. The Red weren’t given the opportunity to make many errors, as junior Elizabeth Dalrymple picked up 13 strikeouts, and earned her third win.

The Red will be looking to improve upon its six game winning streak, and these upcoming games against tougher competition will serve as a litmus test for future success.March to perfection: Senior Devon March will aid the Red in continuing its undefeated record for this season. - By: Beth Spergel

“I’m really excited for the games against Stetson,” Menaker said. “Those games are always close, good games.” The Hatters are an impressive 16-12, but have played all but one of their contests at home. The Hatters batting lineup is solid, as its features four hitters whose batting averages are above .350.

The two U.C.F. games should be hard-fought contests. The Knights boast a 14-11 record, and have plenty of experience going up against some of the toughest competition the nation has to offer, such as U.C.L.A. The Knights are led by starting pitcher Ashleigh Cole who owns a 9-6 record alongside a superb 1.58 ERA.

Still, the Red will be following the old sports adage and taking it ‘one game at a time.’

“The six game winning streak is a great confidence booster,” Menaker said. “But we  still need improvement. We need to use the games in Florida to step it up and grow; we’re facing Ivies when we return, so this is when we need to peak.”

Win or lose, the Red can still be appreciative of the warm weather that Florida promises. “We’ve been practicing a lot indoors, and you kind of take the weather for granted,” Menaker said. “We’re really lucky to be in Florida for Spring break.”