May 3, 2010
The softball season has come to an end and with it comes all of the thoughts and reflections of the season. It seems like just yesterday we were packing to go to Florida and anticipating the first game of the season.
I’m sure that all of the girls on the team would agree that there were many funny moments throughout the season. Between seeing Coach Stew "on" white bread and Coach Rowe’s comments there were many laughs. Our favorite comment from Coach Rowe though I think was, "Come, come, come," as we quoted it all the time.
We also had many highs during the season. We had a seven-game winning streak. Paige tied the single season doubles record set in 1990. Zo tied the single season record for being hit by a pitch, six, set in 2002. Jill pitched her first complete college game and had 52 strike outs in 51 1/3 innings. Kayla hit her first home run in her first college at bat. The team beat two Division II schools.
For Jenna this was her last season. She started 176 out of the 177 games that she played in. She holds the record for the career fielding percentage, .985. She also had the best batting average on the team this year.
The whole team would like to say thank you to all of the coaches who helped this season. They all contributed to our success both on the field and off of the field. We would also like to extend a big thank you to all of our fans that came out and showed their support this year.
I would like to say good luck to Jenna as she begins her life outside of college. I would also like to say good luck to next year’s team. I am sure that they are going to be a great team as they continue to work hard and improve in every area.
April 26, 2010
This was a busy week for the Lady Jacket softball team as we had a full week of softball on our hands. We faced Malone at home on Monday then traveled to Rio Grande on Tuesday and Notre Dame on Wednesday. Thursday was a much appreciated break as we played again on Friday and Saturday in the NCCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.
Sadly our win streak came to an end this week when we faced Malone. We did comeback in the second game however and win 6-5. Kayla began the comeback in the sixth inning with two down. The next four batters each did their job to score three. The defense also did their job and was able to hold Malone in the top of the seventh.
Our trip to Rio ended in a split as well. Our bats failed to come alive during the opener but were working well for the second game. Jenna, Megan, Paige, Missy, Kendra, and Kenleigh had multiple base hits or multiple hits during the game.
Everyone was praying for good weather as we began the NCCAA Tournament on Friday as rain was in the forecast. The games began at noon as we faced Spring Arbor. The Cougars came out on top in a well played game by both teams. Spring Arbor then went on to face top seeded Indiana Wesleyan. IWU was victorious and set up the rematch of the first game.
As the visitors we started the game with a run when Kendra made it around the bases with the help of Zo and Paige. Kenleigh scored in the top of the fifth inning as well as a second run from Kendra. The defense was able to hold the Cougars to one run in the seventh inning and stranding the tying run on base. It was definitely an exciting ending to the day.
When we reached the fields at 9:15 Saturday morning to face IWU it was sprinkling and the tarp had to be removed. As we began to do so however it began to rain a little harder. The ironic thing was that we had an email from Coach Rowe saying that it looked like we were going to be able to get the games in and then the rain began. Then Coach Stew said that the sprinkling would end really soon so we should start removing the buckets and tarp but that only increased the rain that was falling somehow. Thankfully it stopped raining shortly thereafter and we were able to get the game in.
Again we were the visitors and scored first to begin the game with a two run lead. Unfortunately that lead only lasted until the third inning. Though we did come back to score twice in both the fifth and sixth innings it wasn’t enough to secure a win as IWU won 7-6. It was great to see how far our team has come from the beginning of the season when we opened the season at home against IWU and did not play our best game. It was nice to be able to show them how far we have come and have to actually work for their win.
Congrats to Jenna, Kendra, Emily, Paige, and Zo as they were named to the All-NCCAA Midwest Region Team. Jenna, Kendra, Kenleigh, Missy, and Kayla as they were named to the NCCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team and Jenna as she was also named a Region Scholar Athlete. I would also like to congratulate Kendra as she was named the AMC Player of the Week for games during April 12-18.
I sit here writing this on Sunday and am anticipating the games tomorrow. You, however, will be reading this on Tuesday by then we will know the outcome of our final games of the season. Hopefully you will have been able to attend the game and support your Lady Jackets one last time.
April 19, 2010
This was an exciting week for the Lady Jackets as we extended our winning streak to seven games. There have only been two other seven-game win streaks in softball history (1985) in 2003 and 2004. The longest was in 1990 under head coach Bob Fires with a 10-game and 11-game winning streak in the same season. They also had the best record in school history at 29-5 with a winning percentage of .853.
Paige tied a school record during Monday’s game with Rochester. She hit three doubles during the game entering the record books next to Denise DeWalt (1990), Penni Ruhl (twice in 1996), and Sara Koepke (2008). She is only two doubles away from tying the season doubles record of 21 set by Denise DeWalt in 1990.
Jill pitched her first complete game Monday and helped secure the win with six strikeouts. Jenna, Kendra, and Zo also had a great night at the plate as they each had two hits and Jenna had two RBIs.
In the second game Emily pitched a great game as she only allowed one run and struck out four batters. Jenna, Zo, Missy, Kendra, and Paige all hit a double during the game. Both games were well played by the defense as there were only three errors on the evening.
Tuesday we played another non-conference double header against Spalding. The first game was a nail bitter as we went into extra innings when the Golden Eagles went ahead by one run in the top of the seventh and the Lady Jackets came back to tie it up in the bottom. Kendra, Zo, Jenna, Megan, and Paige all had hits that helped to secure the win. Zo also scored twice during the game. Jill had five strike outs in 2 2/3 innings as the relief pitcher. Everyone was in that game to the very end and it was great to see the concentration and team work of the girls on the field.
The loss completely depleted the Golden Eagles as we were able to end the second game after six innings with a score of 9-1. Emily, Kendra, Kenleigh, Missy, Paige, and Zo had big hits during the game that made the win possible. Kayla pitched very well as well as she only gave up five hits and one run. Again the defense played great together.
Friday’s games were canceled due to weather (surprise, the rain cancelled another game!). Saturday we played against Carlow. The Lady Celtics started the third inning by scoring one run but we responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning. Paige, Jenna, Emily, and Missy were the only ones to score during the game but Megan’s hit allowed both Emily and Missy to score.
Kayla finished pitching the first game and continued to pitch the second game, which was called after six innings by a score of 8-0. It was a perfect game backed up by a perfect defense as no errors were committed during the game. We had 11 hits and six RBI’s during the game. It was a great game for the team.
As the NCCAA Midwest Regionals approach this upcoming weekend we look forward to continuing our win streak and continuing to play well together as a team.
April 12, 2010
The softball team traveled many miles last week for three doubleheaders as we faced Mount Vernon, Urbana, and Ursuline.
The Mount Vernon games did not go as planned but we learned from it and moved forward as we faced Urbana, a Division II school on Thursday. Emily did a great job pitching the first game which went down as a win. Jenna helped with her two doubles, which we all thought were over the fence but hit it instead. Megan also hit very well and Zo laid down some excellent bunts.
The team made a great effort at a comeback in the seventh inning of the second game as we were down 6-2. Paige hit a three-run homer, after being offered good food if we won, to bring the score to 6-5. Unfortunately, that score stood to be the final of the game.
Before the games even started at Ursuline the team was laughing. Coach Rowe had said that we had time to go to the restroom since we were done with warm-ups early, so one of the girls decided to take him up on his offer. The coaches had their meeting, the teams were introduced and the National Anthem was started.
As everyone is looking at the flag our team begins to giggle when we see Missy walking back from the restrooms right past the flag. She stopped when she realized what was going on but it was too late as everyone had seen her.
Coach Rowe classified our first game with Ursuline as "Freaky." Jill came into pitch in the first game and had 9 strike outs. We were all trying to keep track of how many she had in a row, I know she had at least 6 and possibly 7.
Because of Jill’s great success in the first game she started the second. She continued to leave the batters baffled at the plate as she sat another 10 down. She was retired after having pitched 11 and 2/3 innings. She did an excellent job and her mom and sister were able to come down for the games to see her pitch.
Everyone hit very well in the second game as we scored 9 runs. Missy hit her first college home run, bringing in two runs.
Everyone got a laugh on our long ride home when Dee went to exchange her drink on the bus. Apparently she forgot what she was doing and didn’t realize she hadn’t put her sweat pants on before doing so. When she ran back to her seat we realized what she had done and Uncle Dave simply said "I have three daughters and seven granddaughters, I’ve seen it all."
April 5, 2010
This last week was busy for the Cedarville University softball team as we hosted three double headers. The outfield was practically a swamp for Tuesday’s double header but that didn’t stop the games from being played as the weather was beautiful. The warm temperatures helped to dry out the field for Thursday’s double header and then proceeded to go crazy for Saturday.
On Tuesday the team began conference play against Shawnee State. Our bats failed to come alive during the first game but were definitely hot during the second game of the evening.
Kayla had a home run that started off a big inning for the Lady Jackets as they scored three more times that inning. We had 13 hits that game with only one error. Shawnee State attempted to come back but the team worked hard together on defense and got down to business in the sixth inning to score two more runs and hold off the Bears.
Thursday’s games didn’t have the results we were hoping for but gave us a couple of interesting stories. The first begins in the third inning of the second game. There was a foul ball that was popped up by the first base fence. Kayla was running back to get the ball, Emily was running over, and Zo was running in from right field. Kayla leaned back to get the ball and Emily went up, the ball dropped, Emily passed out and Kayla walked away.
Everyone was concerned about Emily and no one thought twice about Kayla being injured since she walked away. Well for the first time in Coach Rowe’s career and Lisa’s athletic training career two people had to go to the ER after the game for the same injury as they both ended up with concussions.
Kayla came out after that inning but Emily was stubborn and went back in only to pass out for a second time while catching a ball coming to her at first base, it was a great catch and she passed out in a position that she was able to get the final out of the inning.
The second story begins at the start of the games. I was playing left field and was having serious trouble judging where the balls were going. The wind was blowing but not to the point that I couldn’t catch a single ball. Coach was so frustrated that he pulled me out and I was also frustrated as I would look at the ball and couldn’t decide how far away it was or where it was at.
When I went to take my contacts out later that night I found the right one immediately and put it in the case, but was struggling with the left contact. I looked in the mirror and turned a light on trying to find it but it wasn’t anywhere to be found. Somehow it had fallen out over the past couple of days as I hadn’t taken them out since Tuesday.
Coach wasn’t real happy when I told him what happened and he called me a numbskull and told me that "We can’t have this happen." But there’s nothing that can change it now and luckily the other coaches laughed about it. I don’t think I’m ever going to live this one down.
Saturday was the windiest conditions that I have ever played in. These winds were gusting at 50 mph and blew all of the loose dirt off of the fields making it hard as a rock. The outfielders were about fifteen feet off the infield and as the left fielder, my first step was in and to the right even if the ball looked like it was going to be deep and to the right is still ended up on my right.
There were several times when we had to stop play while the dirt was blowing everywhere before continuing. Even though the sun wasn’t out sunglasses were a must in the dug outs just to keep the dirt out of your eyes. Emily pitched a great game that was won with one run scored by Kendra in the first inning.
The second game had a 30-minute break in the top of the sixth inning due to lightning in the area, everyone bolted to their cars to avoid the rain. When the game started back up there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the sun was bright and there was only a breeze. I’ve never seen the weather change so quickly and so drastically before. Unfortunately, the break was great for the Lady Cavaliers of Walsh as they came back to win the game 6-4.
In the conference we are now 2-2 with a big week coming up with four away double headers. Check out our schedule and if you’re in the area we would love to see you at the games and have your support!
March 29, 2010
In the three weeks since the team has returned to Ohio we have only been able to play four double headers. In the last week the weather forced us to push our game from Monday to Tuesday and to cancel our games for Thursday and Saturday.
Tuesday was an amazing day however. We faced Concordia in Florida and lost 1-0 so we wanted to get our win back. Going into the bottom of the fifth inning the score was 6-2 with Concordia holding the lead.
However, thanks to the great hits of Jenna Fox, Paige Stewart, Christina Zorn, and Emily Young we began our come back during the fifth inning, and went up by one run in the sixth. The defense and our pitcher, Missy Murphy, were able to hold them during the seventh inning for the win.
The team was fired up from our come-back win, as well as our coaches. The team came out on top and began the game with a 2-0 lead. We never fell from the lead and went on to win our first double header of the season as well as the second in the last three years on our field.
We had only two errors on the day which allowed us to compete so well and win the games. Coach Rowe was so excited that he was still practically bouncing up and down when we got to dinner.
As we begin our conference games this upcoming week we are looking to see our continued improvement.
March 22, 2010
Last Monday morning the team was excited as we were going to play our first game since Florida. We all were loaded up and pulled out right on time. The only thing missing was the internet connection box so when we reached the highway we pulled over to wait for the bus company to bring it out to us.
The next thing that we know Coach Rowe told us that our games were cancelled because the fields weren’t ready. No one believed him especially after his prank in Florida. Unfortunately, he was telling the truth so we were forced to return to school and delay our games yet again.
The games scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday also ended up being cancelled as our field and the Athletes in Action facilities were not ready. Wednesday however we were able to practice outside. Everyone was relieved to get out of the field house and back outside.
The enthusiasm was brought down a couple of notches when the team learned that Jeremiah would no longer be our student-trainer. Jeremiah did come to the field to say thanks and to let Jenna and Jill know that it was going to be a great rest of the season because he got them good.
You see Jenna and Jill were joking around with him and Zo in Florida saying that they were a couple and taking random pictures of the two of them. Jeremiah and Zo found a way to get back at them and keep the pranks flying.
We were finally able to play on Thursday at home against Indiana Wesleyan. We unfortunately lost both of the games but were able to learn from them and pick up a win at Marian University on Friday. The team decreased their number of errors and improved in their hitting. We almost won the second game if it hadn’t been for a last inning rally by Marian.
Saturday’s games against Siena Heights also added a win to our record. The team again hit very well and completed the first game without any batter striking out. Our errors dropped to one which was very encouraging. In the second game Cedarville was ahead early but our errors ultimately kept us from winning the game.
The weather has caused our games on Monday against Concordia to be postponed until Tuesday. We are hoping that the weather doesn’t keep us off of the fields too much more as we look forward to the rest of our season.
March 15, 2010
This past week the softball team calendar was a little bare. We started back to practice on Tuesday and worked on many of the little things we found that we needed to work on in Florida. We were still practicing indoors as our field, as well as the AIA field, was unready.
We spent time in every practice working on our hitting as well as regaining our conditioning that we acquired over the winter months. Because of the lack of available fields our games that were originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday were forced to be canceled, much to our dismay.
The downpour that we received on Saturday should have completed the snow melting process and hopefully our field will be dry enough to play at home on Tuesday.
The team is ready to begin its northern season, as Coach Rowe so affectionately calls it. We are set to play Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday of this upcoming week.
Wish us luck and hope that the weather cooperates!
March 8, 2010
Well, if you thought that Florida was supposed to be warm, you obviously haven’t been there when the softball team is there. Everyone brought their shorts and t-shirts but left their hand warmers and winter coats at home thinking it would be warmer there than in Ohio. Boy were we wrong!
If the girls were not prepared to play in Ohio with the wind and cold they are now. Forty mile an hour winds and a low of 40 made coming back to Ohio feel warm. I felt kind of bad for the warm-weather girls that had to be exposed to this weather so abruptly, some girls had two under armor shirts on or had their sweatshirts on under their uniforms and were still cold.
I think I have now played the latest game in my career. Tuesday morning began with rain so all of the games were delayed and a little mixed up. We were scheduled to play at 3:30, 5:30, and 7:30 but thanks to delays we played at 6:00, 9:00, and 11:00. We finished up our last game at 12:50 and were loaded and thawing out our extremities by 1 a.m. Looking back it doesn’t make our prank seem so out of the ordinary or our practices that start at 10:30 and get done at midnight seem so late.
Our team really likes to laugh. It seems like every time you turn around there is someone laughing, usually Dee. I think Coach Stew, Ariella, and Dee got the most laughs this week. On Thursday night we had a picnic dinner complete with sandwiches, fruit, string cheese, and cookies. Coach Stew had a sandwich made of white bread and a few strawberry newtons for dessert. He was so entertaining as he was bouncing up and down, I don’t know that he ever sat still that whole game.
During the same game Ariella went for a foul ball. It seems harmless until you find out that the field is built into the side of a hill and there is a lip where they quit making it level. She was watching the ball and forgot about the lip and did a face plant for all to see. Everyone got a good laugh when we found out that she was ok and was laughing about it herself.
It’s hard to describe one incident that really got us laughing with Dee. She would wear her rally pants when we were down, made up motions for pump it up, came up with other fun cheers (Anybody, Any Money) and just helped to lighten the mood. She also had a great hit that really helped to get everyone up during our game against Grand Valley State; you would have thought that we won the World Series the way that we were cheering after her hit.
I wish I could say that we came away with a winning record and played the best games of our lives but those aren’t the facts. But what we did come away from this week will help the team. We now know how to better interact with each other and encourage each other when we are down; we learned more about our teammates’ range, we gained confidence in our hitting and now have more experience and a better understanding of the game.
I’m glad that we didn’t play the best games of our lives because it means that we haven’t peaked too soon and I think that it would be boring if we just walked in and smothered everyone in every game. Equipped with the knowledge we gained during this trip I look forward to where this team is headed and to see how we improve over this year.
March 1, 2010
Just in case the freshmen weren’t sure that Coach Rowe is a prankster, they found out as soon as we got to Florida. We were delayed by 20 minutes out of Columbus but had a smooth flight and arrived at our hotel with all of our luggage by 9:00 p.m. on Friday night.
"OK ladies, everyone just go to a room so you can change. You have five minutes," Coach Rowe calmly requested. Imagine having fifteen girls rushing off to their hotel rooms to change into their uniforms to go play a game at 11:00 at night under the lights.
After the freshmen and transfers quickly changed and ran to the vans for the "game," the returnees appeared dressed and ready for dinner. Some of the freshmen were not so happy about the prank but the returnees thought it was quite humorous, especially when the freshmen had to go to dinner in their uniforms.
Sounds crazy right? Well, that is a Coach Rowe prank for you.
The team woke up to chilly temperatures and some rain but it did not stop us from practicing. We took numerous ground balls and fly balls in preparation for our games on Monday. It was an exciting time for the outfielders as it was the first fly balls they have been able to take since October.
The rest of Saturday was spent relaxing and enjoying our time off. Sunday morning began with the team worshiping together at Heritage Baptist Church, the home church of Missy Murphy, one of our freshmen pitchers. Many of the players then went out with their families and enjoyed the sunshine and warmer weather.
For those players and coaches remaining, the USA versus Canada hockey game was the big entertainment. Everyone was very disappointed when USA lost in overtime but they seem to have moved past it.
Nerves are running high as our first game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon. The excitement and anticipation of the season is here in full force. Wish us luck as we begin this whirlwind called softball season!
Feb. 26, 2010
Every girl that plays softball spends their winters dreaming of the sunshine, green grass, and warm winds of spring. That time has finally arrived, in Florida at least. After five brief weeks of indoor practices the Cedarville University softball team is gearing up for their annual spring break trip to Florida.
The team is bound for Clermont, Florida to play in the National Training Center Spring Games. This week is crucial for the team as we have the opportunity to get outside and play against some fine softball programs.
This year we will be playing several Division II and III teams as well as other NAIA schools that will push us to see how far we have truly come in the last year. Another reason that this week is so crucial is that it is a great stepping-stone as we continue to build our team unity. We have the benefit of spending the week together and just getting to know each other better. As our team unity grows off the field, so does our unity and cohesion on the field.
Aside from softball, the team uses the extra time to relax and have a little fun. Dinner always gets lots of laughs as well as the random activities the girls come up with. Many of the players are looking forward to coming back with a nice bronze tan, complete with softball lines!
You also never know what the coaches will come up with for us to do. This week also gives many of the girls the opportunity to spend time with their family as they come to support the team. It means so much to all of the girls that we have the support of our families even when we are hours from home.
This week will be accompanied with many butterflies and jitters not only from the ten freshmen and transfers but also from the five returnees, anxious to see what this year will hold. We have set many high individual and team goals that will help us to push ourselves. I am sure that this year’s team will do great things!
Lexi Mitchell is a sophomore multi-age physical education major from Coopersville, Mich. She played in 43 games and made 42 starts during her rookie season.
