With Recently Named Captains, Softball Hopes to Improve Play
The softball team returned from its Florida trip 2-6 overall and will continue its season with back-to-back doubleheaders.
After facing Penn State Fayette Wednesday, the softball team hosts Carlow University for its first home game of the season Saturday, March 18.
Head coach Richele Hall said the team spent the previous week focusing on areas the team fell back on in Florida.
“We’ve been working on a lot of stuff we saw in Florida that were things we needed to work on,” said Hall. “With being so young and starting eight to nine freshman at a time, even though we were prepared going down to Florida, we had some things that happened that we had practiced, but maybe we needed to give a little more attention to. We did that when we got back; we worked on our bunt defense a ton.”
According to Hall, the team has responded well to the practices and have continued to improve on the weaknesses. After returning to practice after Florida, Hall said she has seen a significant improvement.
“The first thing we did our first practice back [from Florida,] was work on our bunt defense,” said Hall. “We literally worked on our bunt defense for the entire practice and my assistant and I looked at each other and said, ‘That’s the best we’ve looked at bunt defense even before we left for Florida.'”
Although the team did not reach its original goal of splitting games in Florida, Hall said the young team was able to successfully bond.
“I feel like the team jelled a lot in Florida and they’ve stated that themselves as well,” said Hall. “I actually had some leaders emerge out of Florida. I was not going to name captains this season, but I ended up naming captains the other night for the girls, who in Florida I felt had stepped up.”
Against Carlow University, sophomore infielders Keri Renzler and Alex Lawrence and senior catcher Mackenzie Smith will play their second game as declared captains for the team. Hall said the captains hold the ability to lead on the field and vocally.
“Those two sophomores – they are huge leaders for us. They are huge leaders on the field, ability wise and vocally as well,” said Hall. “[Smith] has been a leader – behind the plate she needs to be a leader – and she has been and the girls respect her.”
The last time Waynesburg University competed against Carlow University was back in 2012 when the team played a doubleheader and split the two-game series. Although it has been nearly five years since the two teams have played against each other, Hall said the team prepares for each opponent in a similar fashion – like each game is a conference game.
As the team prepares to continue into the regular season with a doubleheader against Carlow Saturday, March 18, at 1 p.m., Hall said the team must play better defense to reach success.
“All our statistics in Florida from last year to this year were all positives,” said Hall. “They were all increased statistics. Off the top of my head last year, in Florida, we scored only 35 runs in 10 games and this year we scored 45 [runs] in eight [games.] Our bats are producing more; we just have to eliminate the errors and play defense a little bit harder.”