Softball excelled at the plate in a sweep of NYU, scoring 33 runs in four games. (Jialing Sun | Student Life)

Washington University athletics had a strong first week of April, highlighted by a road conference sweep by softball. Baseball won a key non-conference game on a walk-off homer, and the golf, track and field, and tennis teams all put up strong performances. Here’s everything you need to know about WashU athletics from April 1–7. 

Softball

WashU softball cruised in their University Athletic Association (UAA) play in New York City this past weekend. They won all four of their games against the New York University (NYU) Violets, dropping NYU to 0-8 in conference play and just 3-16 on the year. On Friday night, the Bears crushed the Violets 12-0. On Saturday, the Bears won both their games 6-1 and 4-1, before wrapping up their trip with an 11-1 win on Sunday. They now hold a 17-7 season record and a 6-2 record in the UAA competition. Next weekend, the Bears will host Case Western Reserve University, who sits in first place with an 8-0 conference record, in a crucial four-game series in St. Louis. 

Baseball

On Thursday, April 4, the Bears battled against Fontbonne University, winning 5-4. With their win against Fontbonne, the team moves to 18-9 on the season.With the Bears trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning, senior Zac Malis hit a two-run walk-off homer to seal the victory for WashU.  The Bears will conclude their 2024 non-conference schedule on Wednesday, April 10 against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Women’s Golf 

During the weekend, the No. 8 WashU women’s golf team hosted the WashU Spring Invite. The team competed against 12 other universities in the region. Both WashU’s A and B teams stood out in the rankings, achieving second and third place overall behind Illinois Wesleyan University’s A team. At the individual level, junior Sydney Kuo won the tournament shooting one over par across two rounds. Next up, the Bears will compete in the Emory Invitational on April 15 and 16. 

Track and Field 

WashU’s track and field team competed in the True Blue Invitational in Jacksonville, IL this past weekend. The women’s team ranked first among 12 other universities, while the men’s team placed fourth. The team is set to compete in the UW–Platteville Invite next weekend. 

Women’s Tennis 

This past weekend, No.7 women’s tennis won the Madison Invitational. They beat No. 48 Gustavus Adolphus University and No. 31 Denison University, advancing to 12-2 for their season record. The team lost just one doubles match against Gustavus Adolphus and swept Denison 9-0. The Bears are set to play Denison University once more on April 12, as a part of a double-header with the men’s team, before playing No. 2 University of Chicago on Saturday in their senior match.