By Karen Linder
Head Coach
We are going into a big weekend playing a doubleheader at Bowling Green on Friday and then games at Toledo on Saturday and Sunday. Both teams are in must-win situations, and with that we know we have to bring our A game.
Bowling Green is a good power-hitting team, and Toledo is a club that will try to manufacture runs. They like to run and steal, so we have to be prepared defensively against them.
I think the whole key for us right now offensively is that we have to be more consistent driving in runs when we get runners in scoring position. That seems to have become a difficulty for us during the past week. We have left a lot of runners on base.
Our pitching continues to be excellent, however. Emma Johnson has been steady the whole way through this season. Nothing phases her. She has kept her composure even through some difficult situations.
Ronnie Ladines has also been pitching very well, as has Alyssa Frankenfield and Janel Hayes. We played Robert Morris last night and used all three. Janel started and then we turned to Alyssa and Ronnie. The intent was to get them some innings mid-week and they did a nice job in some wintery conditions.
Offensively, our freshman shortstop Holly Speers has been hitting the ball very well. She has been very good defensively all year long and now seems to be getting into a very good rhythm at the plate. It took her a little more time to adjust to the offensive side of things, but she has been so consistent that we have now moved her to the four hole. To be a freshman hitting fourth says quite a bit.
Lauren Kesterson is also starting to come on. She had been playing second base early in the season for us, but she wasn’t hitting. We ended up having to make a change in the lineup to add a little more offense. But about about a week or two ago, we gave her an opportunity to get back into the lineup in a non-conference game, and she made the most it. She has been very consistent lately and earned back her position.
We lost Shelbi Tilton to an injury this past week and that has forced a lineup change. Michele Duffy had been a utility player for us, getting some time at second base and in right field, but now we’ve had to move her to first base. Shelbi had been a solid 4-and-5-hole hitter for us, so losing her has been difficult. But I’m very proud of the way our team has overcome several issues of late.
Dani Ramos and Kim Kirpatrick have really been leaders for us at the top of our batting order. Those two are seniors, and they have been so focused and determined. That attitude has been rubbing off on their teammates.
Dani went through a spell recently where she was hitting .500 for about a two-week period. That was very beneficial to us. Kim has been consistent even as we have moved her all through our batting order. She has everywhere from the 1 and the 3-hole, all the way down to the 5 or 6. Right now she is back in the 1 hole. They both keep coming through for us.
Maddy Grimm hit her 14th home run to set the record for most in one season. Last year she tied the mark. Now Maddy is at 15 on the year after she hit a grand slam last night against Robert Morris.
We kind of kept it quiet that Maddy was approaching the single-season home run record. Nobody wrote about it on our website, and nobody talked to her about it. We looked at it kind of the way you do when you don’t talk about a no-hitter.
Maddy had no idea she set the new record until after the game. She is one of those people who is better off not knowing she is getting close to a record. Now that she has it, we are all very happy for her.
