One week could never make or break a season. However, in assessing the women’s softball team, one can only conclude that the road thus far has not been a very friendly place.
The Falcons opened their 2002 campaign with consecutive victories over Tennessee State, but they have dropped four games straight since then. This weekend’s trip to Charlottesville, Va. for the Cavalier Classic was supposed to provide the team with the opportunity to show that its 2-4 record is no correlation of the type of team head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw has this year.
Nevertheless, the tournament was cancelled due to a forecast of inclement weather. The Falcons were scheduled to compete against teams from Appalachian State, Morhead State, Rider and Tennessee. Then, they were to return home to host Virginia from March 1, 2, 3.
Even though the cancellation leaves the Falcons devoid of any competition until March 11, Senior Pitcher Jessie Milosek felt that this week off will give BG the chance to focus on areas that need the most improvement.
“Everyone is trying to continue working hard, and everyone has kept a positive attitude through some tough losses,” Milosek said. “This gives us an opportunity to focus on areas that kept us from winning the last four games.”
The Falcons’ overall statistics do not reflect that of a club searching for consistency. They are batting .289 as a team while holding their opponents to .270, and they have scored 25 runs, only sacrificing 23 runs.
Although BG has been outscored 22-11 in the last four contests, aside from that stat, sophomore third baseman Jody Johnson felt that other areas of weakness would take precedence as the team prepares for its next tournament.
“Renee Rosemier always says that were on the verge of becoming a great team. We have a lot of new faces, as opposed to last season when everyone had some time to grow accustomed to one another, but we just have to learn how to get everyone to coexist on the field,” Johnson said.
“We’ve also struggled with our communication as of late and playing a full seven innings. Those factors will probably be our main focus, but we still have high hopes for the season. It’s still early; we just need to continue working hard.”
The Falcons return to action March 11-16 as they compete in the Rebels Games in Orlando, Florida. Milosek, who has leads the team with a .70 Earn Run Average, felt that the team will be prepared when it comes time to play.
“We’re going to be playing two games a day in Florida, so we are going to have to be prepared. But we do have an extra week to get ready,” Milosek said. “We are really looking forward to getting back into action.”
