Softball playing strong in fall

If this fall is any indication, the Penn softball team could be in for a drastic improvement in the spring. Last weekend, the Quakers played well, going 2-1 in the Penn Invitational Tournament. So far this fall, Penn is 4-2, a marked improvement over last fall's 1-4-1 start. "We still have a relatively young team, so we're just learning how to win," Penn coach Carol Kashow said. "I've been pleased with what I've seen this fall, though. There have been a lot of positives." The Quakers have notched victories against Rutgers, Rowan, Wagner and Holy Family and have fallen only to Rider and Drexel in fall play. Penn, like every other collegiate softball team, plays its main season in the spring. Sophomore pitcher Becky Ranta is picking up right where she left off after a successful freshman season. "We've been pretty happy with our pitching so far," Kashow said. "Becky has been exactly what we would have expected after last year. She's been impressive." Penn appears to have much greater depth this year on the mound with some talented freshman recruits having arrived on the scene. Freshman Nicki Borgstadt has been impressive so far and had a strong outing in a win against Rutgers. "The fall season is important because I get a chance to try some players in different positions than usual and see how that works out," Kashow said. "I also get to see our new freshmen and start to get a feel for their games." Penn's offensive output has been vastly improved this fall. That should be very critical to a Red and Blue squad that struggled mightily to consistently put runs on the board during a 13-30-1 spring season. Sophomore leadoff hitter and shortstop Crista Farrell has been a big part of the Quakers' offensive surge. Farrell has been hitting solidly and has already stolen seven bases, as compared to 11 all of last spring. "Our offense is really cooking right now, and that's big for us," Kashow said. "We've already hit two home runs, and we only hit three all last season." The final stop of the fall season for Penn will be the City Six Tournament, which features the Big 5 schools plus Drexel. "We're pretty excited with the way everything has been going," Kashow said. "We're working hard, and as compared to last year, we are definitely vastly improved."

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