Softball opens East play 4-0

Note: My plan for softball and baseball season is to provide in depth previews as often as possible. I will also do full recaps for each doubleheader (or in some cases, like this one, each group of weekend games). Enjoy.

Recap:
Friday, March 28 @ Millersville:

Game 1: W 9-0
Katlin Arbogast tossed a six inning, one-hit shutout, while striking out 12 Marauders as KU cruised to a 9-0 win in six innings. The Golden Bears registered 11 hits, led by two a piece from Maria Schiavo, Ashley Fitzgerald, and Maggie Reifsnyder. Steph Denlinger, Krista Cameron, Reifsnyder, and Kathy Gregg each homered.

Game 2: W 9-0
KU completed the sweep of Millersville with another 9-0 blowout in just five innings. Mary Hoch tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout and struck out five Marauders. KU had 10 hits, including three from Caitlin Hague and two a piece from Denlinger and Cameron. Denlinger had 6 RBIs in the game, thanks to a grand slam and double.

Saturday, March 29 vs. Mansfield

Game 1: W 4-3
Arbogast took a 4-0 lead and no hitter into the sixth inning, before Mansfield rallied to three sixth-inning runs, cutting its deficit to one. Monica Glomb would then enter the game for KU and, despite allowing a bases loaded situation in the seventh, closed the door for her second save of the season. Fitzgerald registered two of KU’s four hits in the game. Cameron and Hague were responsible for the others.

Game 2: W 4-3
Schiavo hit a bases loaded, walkoff single in the bottom of the 7^th inning to propel KU to the sweep of the Mounties. KU left 14 players on base in the game, but managed 12 hits, including two a piece from Kim Morrison [pictured], Denlinger, Krista Tedjeske, and Hague. Glomb earned the win, tossing four total innings. She allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out three.

What we liked:
To be honest, just about everything. The Golden Bears absolutely destroyed Millersville, as they allowed just four hits and outscored them 18-0 during the two game sweep. Steph Denlinger is back in her 2007 form and set the KU career RBI mark during her 8 RBI day on Friday. Caitlin Hague was a bit under the radar, but she was the teams top hitter over the weekend, going 7-for-11 at the plate, while scoring twice and knocking in two runs. Denlinger was 5-of-10 at the plate, knocked in 10 runs, and scored three times. Krista Cameron hit .417 on the weekend, contributed three RBIs, and scored twice.

The pitching was superb with Kait Arbogast carrying the load as usual. The sophomore ace went 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in her two appearances and struck out 20 batters in 11.1 innings of work. Fellow freshman Monica Glomb and Mary Hoch each earned a win and neither allowed an earned run in 13.2 combined innings.

What we didn’t like:
Kait Arbogast’s poor sixth inning in game 1 against Mansfield surely turned some stomachs, but I’m not concerned in the least. Everyone has a poor outing from time to time and it’s no secret that she’s a superstar on the mound.

My bigger concern was the production from the top of the KU lineup. Kim Morrison and Maria Schiavo are both excellent hitters and they need to produce better than they did this weekend. Morrison was just 2-of-12 (.167), while Schiavo was a bit better, going 4-of-15 (.267). Each of them drove in two runs and Schiavo did score five times. Again, they are good hitters, so I’m really not too concerned.

Impact:
The four wins move the Golden Bears (27-5), the 17^th ranked team in the division II nation, to first place in the PSAC East. Millersville and Mansfield are two of the easier teams on KU’s divisional schedule, so it’s likely to only get harder from here on in. Shippensburg is also 4-0 in the division, while Bloomsburg and West Chester are both 2-0. The Golden Bears blew out the Marauders and did what they had to do against Mansfield. They will need to keep up their solid play from top to bottom if they hope to continue tearing through a tough crop of PSAC East opponents.

Following a home doubleheader against East Stroudsburg on Wednesday, the Golden Bears will get their first true test on Friday when they head to Bloomsburg.