Softball goes 4-2 over hectic three-day span

The Quakers cruised to four straight wins before Rider swept them. So far this season, the Penn softball team has been a team of streaks. After dropping the last seven games at the end of their road trip in Florida, Penn came home to win four in a row this weekend before losing the final two games in its three-day homestand. The Quakers (8-12) came into their six-game homestand with the intention of evening their record at 10 wins and losses, and they were able to sweep both Lafayette and La Salle in consecutive doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday at Warren Field. However, Penn was unable to keep the winning streak going as they fell to Rider's strong pitching, 2-1 and 2-0 yesterday afternoon. Penn's bats, which were potent in 8-0 and 4-1 victories against Lafayette and 5-4 and 9-3 wins over La Salle, were stymied by Rider's pitching tandem of Danielle Lake and Becky Fegely, who combined to give up only one run off 12 hits. However, the Quakers blamed themselves for the sweep, rather than the Broncs' pitching. "We could have easily won both games -- especially the first game because we had more hits and base-runners," sophomore third-baseman Jen Moore said. In the first game against the Broncs, the Quakers proved unable to capitalize on opportunities. The Red and Blue left eight runners on base, wasting a solid pitching effort by freshman Becky Ranta, who gave up only five hits in a complete-game. Ranta, who pitched in three of the six games for the Quakers this weekend, has been a valuable asset to the club in just her first year of collegiate athletics. "[Ranta] was nervous at the start of the year, but she has really settled down," Moore said. "Her curveball is working great and really fooling batters? and sometimes even the fielders." In the second game against Rider, the Quakers' bats just never got going. They were able to produce only three hits as Suzanne Arbogast, who gave up only two runs off four hits, was the hard-luck loser. Penn put together a late rally in the bottom of the seventh as senior first baseman Kari Dennis worked a one-out walk after falling behind 1-2 in the count. Danielle Landolt then ripped a line drive to center, but sophomore Molly Meehan, pinch-running for Dennis, could not get to second before the throw from the center. Pinch-hitter Lisa McNeeley kept the rally alive with a base-hit to left, but freshman shortstop Crista Farrel struck out to end the game. Despite the final result, Penn coach Carol Kashow took something positive out of the close defeat. "We showed a lot of character in the last inning," Kashow said. "The lesson we'll take from today is that we're never out of any game." Kashow and her team knew there was something missing from yesterday's games. After four straight inspired victories, the Red and Blue lost their sharpness. "I think we were the better team, but there was just something missing today," sophomore left fielder Clarisa Apostol said. "On any other day, we could have taken Rider." Despite ending their homestand with two straight losses, the Quakers found reason for optimism in their first four victories. Against Lafayette on Friday, Penn won a pair of five-inning games, 8-0 and 4-1. Two freshmen led the way for the Quakers in the opener. Ranta tossed a three-hit shutout, and fellow newcomer Farrel went 3-3 with two runs and two RBI. Penn had a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second and added two runs in the fifth and the sixth innings before the game was called due to the eight-run mercy rule. In the second game, Penn had a 4-1 lead through five innings behind the powerful hitting of Moore. The third baseman scored the first run of the game for Penn in the first inning before connecting on a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, giving the Quakers a lead they would never relinquish. The game was called after five innings due to darkness. On Saturday, the Red and Blue continued their winning ways with a sweep of La Salle. In the opener, Penn rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the 11th to come away with a 5-4 win. With the score knotted at two through the first 10 innings, the international tiebreaker came into play -- each team would begin the inning with a runner at second base. The Explorers broke the tie with a run in the 10th on a sacrifice fly, but Penn answered right back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI from freshman center fielder Deb Kowalchuk, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI in the game. An Explorers run in the top of the 11th set the stage for Penn's last-inning heroics. Sophomore second baseman Jamie Pallas singled home the tying run with the bases loaded before Dennis crossed the plate for the winning run after a wild pitch. Ranta, who gave up two runs in 11 innings, got her second win in as many days behind a strong, one-error Penn defensive effort. Penn concluded the sweep with a 9-3 trouncing in the finale. Moore and Kowalchuk went yard for the Quakers, while senior captain Michelle Zaptin and freshman Dina Parise combined for the five-hit victory. However, while Penn's offense was strong in its first four wins, it simply was not there in the Rider sweep. "We had a strong pitching effort. The defense was solid -- the only thing that wasn't there was the offense," Kashow said. "If we brought the offense, we'd be looking at six straight wins."

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