Softball Wraps First Season With Three Victories

The last thing the Yeowomen softball team was going to do was let their inaugural season go by without getting a few wins and making outstanding improvements. After going without a win in their first 14 games, the Yeowomen erupted last Thursday for a sweep of a double-header against Wooster at home and a split at Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday.

The team's offense rocked Wooster's pitching from the get-go, posting five runs in the first inning of the lead-off game. Senior second baseman Katy Durham-Hammer started the scoring by driving in an RBI single, followed by fellow middle infielder Becky Kanuch's two-run double. Two batters later, senior catcher Jami Silver stroked a two-run single that put the Yeowomen on top 5-0.

Been Caught Leanin': Sophomore Emily Johnson takes a secondary lead off of first base as a pitch is delivered. (photo by Brian Hodgkin)

That was all the scoring they would need, as sophomore pitcher Dawn Sweeney held Wooster to only two runs the whole game. Sweeney had two strike-outs and yielded only seven hits.

"I am extremely happy about the way we improved this year," said Sweeney. "We really stepped up to the challenge." Her attitude was much the same towards her own pitching. "My goal was for them to hit as many balls on the ground as possible, and to give our fielders a chance to make the plays. I'm not a strike-out pitcher, so I need the defense to help out," she said.

Help out is exactly what they did, as the Yeowomen committed only two errors in their 5-2 win. Outfielders sophomore Emily Johnson and senior Kim Tolman stepped up big at the plate as well, combining for five hits.

"It was so great to see our team come together like this at the end of the year," said Tolman. "We learned from each other and it was so nice to see everything."

The Yeowomen carried their momentum into the second game, as they once again got some runs on the board quickly in the first inning. Johnson started things off with a solid base hit and was soon brought home on Durham-Hammer's RBI triple. Sophomore Becky Kanuch drove in the inning's second run with another single.

The next Oberlin run came in the bottom of the third inning, when Sweeney stroked a base hit, scoring Kanuch after her second hit of the day. Freshman Maria Balducci scored a run in the fourth after reaching on an error. The last of the Yeowomen's six runs Yeowomen's came in the sixth inning, when Durham-Hammer and Kanuch hit back-to-back doubles. Sweeney scored Kanuch on a sacrifice fly.

Senior pitcher Sarah Krier went the distance and picked up the 6-3 victory. She had her best performance of the year, striking out six and allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. She also only walked two batters.

"Winning these games really made the season worthwhile," said Krier. "We really came together as a team, and everyone seemed to do something amazing on the field. Everyone on the team worked very hard all season, and it paid off in the end for us."

Saturday, the team traveled to Delaware, OH to face another conference newcomer, Ohio Wesleyan. The first game found the Yeowomen struggling to string hits together. Balducci led the offense from the lead-off spot, going two for three from the plate and scoring the team's only run. Dawn Sweeney threw a complete game from the mound, giving up one unearned run. Errors did the Yeowomen in, though, as OWU was able to score five unearned runs, giving them a 6-1 win.

Victory at Last: Teammates congratulate senior hurler Sarah Krier after her first win of the season. (photo by Brian Hodgkin)

The second game, however, was a different story. The Yeowomen jumped on the opposing pitcher early, exploding for 10 runs in the first inning. The team must have saved their bats in the first game for the night cap, as they totaled 13 hits and 11 runs to over-power OWU 11-8. Kanuch and Durham-Hammer led the team with three hits apiece, driving in four and two runs, respectively. Durham-Hammer also scored three times.

"We really hit our stride these last few games, and it's a shame we couldn't have done it a little earlier," said Durham-Hammer. "I think we proved to ourselves that we could be a very solid team once everyone accepted their roles."

Silver went 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored. On the season, Silver had three doubles and five RBIs, but her steady offense was overshadowed by her great play behind the plate.

"Taking three out of four games is definitely something I'm proud of," said Silver. "It was really a great way to end the season. It was nice to see a lot of solid hits, and especially score 10 runs in one inning."

Though the Yeowomen finished 3-15 overall, (3-11 NCAC). Coach Jane Wildman couldn't be more thrilled about her team rising to the end-of-the-season challenge.

"We played really well these past few games, and wining three games to end the season is something I'm very pleased with," she said. "The team showed hard work and perseverance all season, and I am extremely happy in the way it paid off for them. This team was very cooperative and fun to work with."

Durham-Hammer was recently honored with Second Team All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors. Her presence will be missed, as she posted a .424 batting average with six RBI's, three doubles, two triples and nine runs scored. Oberlin will return eight players, however, and should have no problem carrying their momentum from the end of their first season into the second.

One of those returning next year will be shortstop Becky Kanuch, who led the team with a .440 batting average.

"We really reached our peak," she said. "It was like puddin'." Putting things a little more eloquently about next season, Kanuch said, "It will be butta'." Butta' or puddin', look for the Yeowomen to have a strong season in 2001.