By: Kaylee Darnell
Staff Writer
IU South Bend softball has officially started their season but unfortunately has yet to bring home a win. They have played seven games so far and are still working to figure out what it is that they are missing.
The Titans kicked off their season against IU Southeast on Feb. 27. They were defeated 0-9 in their first game and 1-9 in their second game.
The team was defeated by Concordia, 3-5, on March 5. They were defeated again by the Aquinas, 1-4, on March 5.
The Titans took on Huntington on March 6. Ultimately, they fell short with a final score of 8-0 on their first game and a final score of 4-1 on the second game.
“I personally think what’s missing is the productivity with runners in scoring position. Leaving runners stranded leaves a bitter taste in your mouth knowing that they were potential runs. Once we start producing better at the plate, things will take a turn for the better,” Shelby Baker, junior softball player, said.
“I think we’re missing out on a lot of opportunities across the board. Defensively we’re missing routine plays that end up costing us runs and then we fall behind and have to play a game of ‘catch up’, which is hard on our pitchers. Offensively I think we’re missing out on key hits, especially with runners on base. We’re really struggling to push runs across because we aren’t stringing any hits together at the plate. We’re leaving too many runners on base each game and it’s come back to bite us every time. It’s tough because I know what our hitters are capable of. They hit so well when our pitchers throw live to them and personally, I don’t think they’ve seen better pitching than Becca and me yet this season. I know they have it in them, but we’ve got to find a breakthrough point,” Aly Brickel, senior softball player, said.
The team has only faced non-conference teams thus far in their season and are continuing to practice every day and get non-conference games in before they start to face teams in the CCAC.
“I’m hoping to see the team grow closer as a family and watch people settle into their roles. I think it’s important to have all 20 people invested in the games and team regardless of if you’re on the field or not,” Baker said.
“The key components I look forward to are seeing our players step up and ‘be the girl’ in crucial situations. I’m eager to see who the leaders are and how they choose to step up when the game is on the line. There’s going to be highs and lows no matter what, but I want to see who’s got the mental and physical discipline to execute not only effectively, but efficiently when the team needs it the most. We’ve got to find our rhythm and get in our groove and show everyone what the culture of IUSB Softball is all about,” Brickel said.
However, the team is not backing down from the season, The Titans are looking to achieve their first win in their two games versus Aquinas College on March 13.
