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Softball still sits at the bottom of the NWC standings

March 19, 2010

by Lindsey Bosse

This weekend left the softball team 0-15 overall and 0-8 in the NWC. Currently Lewis & Clark rests at the bottom of the rankings in conference, with Whitworth sitting right above it and Pacific Lutheran ranking first. Last Saturday the team played against Puget Sound at home, losing 8-6 and 6-3. Then, on Sunday, the team was defeated by NWC leader Pacific Lutheran at 10-0 and 12-5. 

“It really depends on the day,” said Danielle Blechert (’12). “It has a lot to do with confidence. We tend to get over-anxious; that’s a majority of our problem.”

On Saturday, the Loggers took a head start, scoring their first three runs in the first inning. In the fourth inning, they ran in three more times. For their half of the inning, the Pioneers pulled out a two-run homer thanks to Jessica Mullins (’10). 

In the fifth inning, UPS answered with its own home run. Megan Andre (’13) scored a point for the Pios in response. The seventh inning looked promising for a Pio comeback. First, the Loggers let Mullins walk, with loaded bases and two outs for batter Caitlin Relyea (’12). After hitting a single to left field, two runners made it home, ending the game 8-6. 

Within the first inning of the second game, Jamie Moon (’11) played a tedious game on the bases, advancing after a wild pitch, and waiting while Caroline DeVincenzi (’12) struck out. Moon finally came into home when Blechert hit a single.  LC kept a 1-0 lead until the third inning, when UPS managed two runs. DeVincenzi answered, scoring one point for LC during  its portion of the inning after a Logger error on second base. 

Both teams stalled until the sixth inning, when UPS finally scored a run. UPS took three more runs after a homer in the seventh inning. That ended the game 6-3. 

The next day, still at the Houston Sports Complex, the Pios had some batting problems in game one. The Lutes finished the game with 13 hits, while the Pios only had two, with credit to Jet’aime Mullins (’13) and Moon.  The Lutes managed their first two points in the second inning, and stacked up four more in the third. The Lutes stalled for an inning and returned in the fifth and sixth finishing with five more points.

Game two allowed the Pios to make a hitting comeback. In the third inning, with PLU up 1-0, LC managed three hits and one run.  The action really started in the sixth inning, with PLU taking a run for each of its four hits.  LC answered similarly with three runs for its three hits. In the seventh inning, PLU scored two more runs, and LC scored one, ending the game 12-5.

“We’re still consistent,” Blechert said. “We have a lot more confidence compared to last year, and it’s nice to see the continual progress.”

Over the break the team will play in Orange, CA in the 2010 Sun West Tournament, where the team looks optimistic to steal some of its first wins.

“We’re working on our play this week, not working towards beating on other teams,” said Blechert.