Softball ends weekend tournament 4-1
The St. Joe’s softball team had a successful weekend in Conway, South Carolina coming out of the Chanticleer Showdown with a record of 4-1. After dropping their first game to the University of Pittsburgh, they were able to bounce back and win the final four games of the tournament.
“I think we took lessons out of that first loss,” said head coach Erin Brooks. “I think we were able to learn from it.”
Senior utility player Lauren Reilly thinks that after their opening loss they were able to adjust their focus.
“We reevaluated how we were playing” Reilly said. “Once we were able to identify what we had to do and how to attack the game we were able to turn it on.”
Brooks attributed the team’s success to their approach at the plate as well as their defensive efforts.
“We were able to make some pretty decent adjustments,” Brooks said. “Defensively, we did a very good job working together on the field. This was a big improvement from the first weekend. I think it just came with getting some games under our belt.”
St. Joe’s was led by their offense. They were able to drive in 32 runs over the course of the five games.
Junior utility player Taryn Gober is off to a hot start this season, batting .419 through the team’s first 10 games.
“She is just a really good hitter,” Brooks said. “She knows what she is looking for at the plate and takes advantage when she gets it.”
On the mound, senior Madison Clarke and junior Ashley Ventura have been workhorses, pitching 40 of the teams 67 innings. Clarke leads the team with a 2.33 ERA as well.
“When you have Madison or Ashley in the circle they can handle that pressure and the team definitely rallies around them,” Brooks said.
One of the pivotal moments of the weekend came in the last game against the University of Pittsburgh. St. Joe’s was down 5-0 in the top of the first and stormed back scoring eight runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead.
“That resiliency and the way we didn’t give up is what St. Joe’s softball is about,” Reilly said. “We were able to get hits and drive runs in, pick our pitcher up, and ultimately get the win.”
Reilly said the Hawks regained a winning mentality their past tournament.
“We remembered how it felt to win,” Reilly said. “We hope to carry that through the season. No one can deny how awesome the feeling was when we were winning most games and scoring eleven runs.”
One of the keys Brooks hopes her team takes out of the weekend is how important it is to play together.
“I think visually you can see the difference when we come together as a team,” Brooks said. I think it helps our pitchers when they know they can rely on their defense and offense to have their backs and vice versa. We are just starting to find our identity.”
The Hawks will take on Central Michigan University and Florida Gulf Coast Univversity on March 9.
