SEASON PREVIEW: Softball ready to succeed this year

Quakers play four this weekend After graduating nine seniors from an injury-plagued 1993 women's softball team that finished 10-21, Penn coach Linda Carothers has put together a strange brew of seasoned veterans and talented young freshmen that may very well spell the recipe for success in 1994. "It's a nice mix," Carothers said. "The freshmen are a challenging phase of our game. They really allow us to step up and compete a little bit. They're real aggressive and along with our returning ballplayers, I think we're going to do real well." Around the diamond, the Quakers are anchored by all-Ivy shortstop and senior co-captain Rachel Walsh (.167, 12 RBI in 1993). Walsh, a four-year starter, is as solid as they come defensively with excellent range and a quick release. At second base, freshman Samantha Smithson has played well in the early going in her battle with junior Carmin Rivera for the everyday job. The hot corner belongs to sophomore Kristen Richeimer (.235 in 20 games), who has the unenviable task of replacing three-time all-Ivy third baseman Paula Mueller and her .353 average and rifle arm. At first base, Carothers will platoon her top three slugging pitchers to keep their hefty bats in the lineup when they're not on the mound. Junior co-captain and all-Ivy selection Dawn Kulp (.197, 9 RBI, 5 SB), the incumbent, is looking to rebound from an injury-riddled 1993 campaign. She will share time with two gifted freshmen -- heavy-hitting Vicki Moore and Melanie Bolt, a left-handed speedster. The Quakers are solid behind the plate with senior Stacey Thompson (.286, .413 slugging) slated to do most of the catching. Thompson is Penn's top returning hitter and always a threat to hit the long ball. Freshman Abby Altman has proven more than capable thus far and should also see some action. "Stacey Thompson is really hitting the ball well so far this year," Carothers said. "If she stays consistent and stays focused, she'll be able to replace some of my long ball hitters." Three excellent athletes will patrol the outfield for Penn with a number of talented freshmen waiting in the wings. Senior Hilary Stamos (.290, 2 HR, 13 RBI in 1992), perhaps the Quakers' best pure hitter, has returned from a year abroad in Russia to take over the right field. In center field, sophomore Abby Shore (.250, 3 SB) will bolster the defense and add some speed on the basepaths. Freshman Laurie Nestler has earned the everyday job in left field, swinging the bat well so far this season. Defensively, veterans Thompson, Walsh and Shore should provide some much-needed stability up the middle for the Quakers. Last year, Penn committed 90 errors to its opponents' 53, leading to a whopping two unearned runs per game. "Our fielding has definitely improved this year," Carothers said. "I bet our errors are down and we're not giving away as many runs. Our game as a whole has been stepped up a little bit this year." Perhaps the biggest question mark entering the 1994 season was at the plate, as the Quakers lost their top three hitters and run-producers to graduation. Penn has hit the ball well at times this season, but is still searching for more consistency overall. "Our whole team is pretty stacked with hitting," Shore said. "Everyone's hitting the ball hard right at people. It just hasn't been falling -- but it will." Carothers has been pleasantly surprised with her club's performance at the plate in the early going. "We were kind of concerned coming in," Carothers said. "But so far we've been really excited about what we've been able to do at the plate. Hilary came back and filled a really big void. We have Laurie Nestler who's hitting the ball well and Vicki Moore as well. If they can stay consistent and stay on the ball, we'll be fine." The one area where there's no concern this year is on the mound where the Quakers boast five top-notch pitchers, led by senior workhorse Lanie Moore (4-13, 2.13 ERA, 14 CG). Senior Cherie Gerstadt (1-2, 1.85 ERA) and Kulp (4-6, 1.85 ERA) are both coming off injuries that limited their duty in 1993. Both have command of a wide variety of pitches to keep opposing hitters guessing. Newcomers Vicki Moore and the left-handed Bolt have also shown promise and should see plenty of innings. "It's great to have five good pitchers," Kulp said. "We've never had this much depth. When someone is getting hit and people are really starting to time them, it's good to be able to bring in someone else, especially since we're all so different in our styles. We have a windmill pitcher and a left-hander -- just a lot of different combinations." Overall, Penn is 4-9 entering a pair of doubleheader this weekend -- at Delaware tomorrow and at Warren Field Sunday against Lafayette at 1 p.m. Carothers believes once everything clicks the Quakers can compete with anybody in the league. "I think we've got a real good outlook for the season," Carothers said. "I hardly expect us to be challenging everybody for everything, but if our freshmen mature along the way and our seniors play well, we'll be right there. Right now we're waiting to see how things mesh. So far we've been real happy with what we've seen."