The softball team just finished a hard weekend, losing a pair of double-headers to Transylvania and Thomas Moore. The Ravens entered the weekend with a .350 batting average and had scored with relative ease throughout the season.
The bats cooled across the weekend tilt. Facing the three-time reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Week Renae Morton, the Ravens were unable to score against Transylvania, dropping both games 5-0. Anderson stranded 10 base runners in the two games.
Thomas More then outscored the Ravens 19-3 in their doubleheader. The Ravens were only able to muster nine hits in the two games.
The team batting average dipped to .328 after the weekend.
Despite the rough outings, the ladies are still looking forward to finishing their season strong. The Ravens have eight games left this year: two games at Rose-Hulman on Tuesday, two against Defiance on Wednesday, two at Mount St. Joseph Saturday and two at Hanover on Sunday to close the regular season.
After going 5-5 during their annual spring break trip to Clermont, Fla. hopes were high for the softball team, but some big injuries and a tough conference schedule has slowed the Ravens momentum. Coach Tony Holloway, who is now in his 10th season, has seen a lot of highs and lows in his time with the program.
“The Florida trip brings some much needed team bonding,” said Holloway, “along with great weather compared to what we have had this spring in Indiana. It also allows the coaching staff to evaluate all the players in a very short period of time.”
This season was slated to be a tough one for the Ravens after losing several of their senior starters last season. The team sits at 9-19 after this past weekend’s set of games but could finish their season on a high note with a few good performances this week.
“It has been challenging trying to figure it all out,” Holloway said. “It isn’t the kind of season we want to have, but we knew it would take awhile for our young players to come together.”
Holloway attributes a lot of the team’s past success to the Florida trip. In a rebuilding year, he says that the trip was vital to finalizing the starting lineup. While the team isn’t as successful as they would have hoped, there are positives to be taken away from their season.
Junior transfer student Joslyn Leverett raved about the chemistry on the team this year. “I am not one to criticize or put others down for mistakes,” she said. “I know that mistakes happen, and I’m always there to try to pick my teammates up.”
The Ravens won’t be back in the HCAC tournament this season, but that doesn’t mean that the whole season was a waste. This season also gives Coach Holloway a good sense of which players can have an impact beyond this season, and which positions he needs to focus on recruiting. “I will let you know that our future looks very promising,” he said. “This team has been a real pleasure to coach this season. I’m looking forward to better things to come to them in the future.”