The Husky softball team completed a successful spring break trip this past Saturday in Orlando, FL. Over the duration of their stay, they played 14 games in eight days. A five-inning no-hitter by freshmen Cait Paine over Nyack College highlighted Bloomsburg’s final day in their annual trip. The Huskies pummeled Nyack with a final score of 12-0 in five innings. Also, during the final days, Bloomsburg defeated St. Joe’s of Indiana, 4-2, and Queens (NY), 3-0.
Head Coach Jan Hutchinson was pleased with her team’s performance during the tournament. “We have been playing well considering we never get a chance to practice outside on the dirt before we play, which is difficult for the fielders,”she notes. The Huskies are currently 13-2, and one of those losses was a heartbreaking and frustrating one. Hutchinson says, “One of them was a 5-4 loss where we left the bases loaded several times and also had a player called out at the plate another time, so we felt we could have and should have won that one.”
The other loss was to Winona by a final score of 3-0. This was both a tough and legitimate one. Winona finished fifth in the country last year out of almost 300 schools, and many of their players returned this year. Having one of the best and most successful pitchers in the country, Winona is already one of the front runners for the national title this season.
In the game with Nyack College, junior Lacy Mauro sealed the victory for the Huskies by producing a three run double. As to the team’s status so far, she said, “I feel that we are playing very well, but we had a few opportunities that we could have played better. I’m very excited about this season. We are playing as a team, hitting extremely well, and we have an awesome pitching staff as well as a solid defense.”
Speaking of a superb pitching staff, Paine’s no-hitter was the first of her career in just her seventh start for the Huskies. Coach Hutchinson reports, “Overall, our pitching was very strong, with three no hitters already and several one or two hitters,” said Coach Hutchinson.
In a 4-2 win over St. Joe’s of Indiana, Danielle Lazorka went 3-3 with two runs scored to lead Bloomsburg to the win. Shavaun Fisher tossed a four hitter, while striking out 10 and walking seven. Mandy Koch, Emily Young, and Lacy Mauro all drove in runs for the Huskies. Koch stated, “All of our hard work is paying off. I think we have done a great job coming out and being 13-2 already this season. The team as a whole has been hitting the ball well almost every game and most of the games this spring break have been high-scoring games for us.”
The final game of the trip resulted in the Huskies defeating Queens of New York by a score of 3-0. Lazorka again led the offense by going 2-2, with two runs scored while Jena Hampton had two RBI and Koch added one of her own. Picking up the win for the Huskies was Fisher, who allowed just two hits and struck out 10 with no walks. On the final day of the trip, Lazorka went 8-8 with five runs scored, while Fisher pitched 14 innings, accumulating 20 strike outs and allowing just six hits.
As for the future progress of the Huskies, Coach Hutchinson believes, “We need to continue to improve and get healthy!” Over the duration of the tournament, the Huskies suffered from illness and a number of injuries. “We are anxious to get outside on our own field and practice,” added Hutchison. Mandy Koch said of her team, “We need to improve on our confidence levels when we are up to bat and have that positive and strong mentality that you can hit the ball. We need to push ourselves through the pain no matter how tough it may be. The team needs each and every one of us to help reach our season goals.”
Fisher has already been named Central Division Pitcher of the Week twice, while Nikki Shiko has been named Player of the Week for some strong hitting performances. The Huskies are headed to Virginia for a weekend tournament and then open play at home next Tuesday against the defending national champions, Lock Haven, where they hope to make a statement and build on their early success.
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