Softball has only one series left

Tripping over its own feet, the Penn softball team will have to learn to coordinate itself by tomorrow if it hopes to win the last two doubleheaders of the season. "I am concerned about this weekend," said freshman pitcher Vicki Moore. "I don't want to go to Harvard and Brown and get embarrassed." If they step up their play a notch, the Quakers (14-17, 2-4 Ivy League) may have a chance to win against the Crimson tomorrow and Bears Sunday. Harvard (10-18, 2-2) and Brown (9-19, 2-2) have posted equally dismal records. However, motivation to win after brutal losses last weekend to Yale and St. Joseph's will not come easy. The Quakers are clearly out of Ivy League title contention. "I don't think that the record shows what kind of team we are," junior co-captain Dawn Kulp said. "I think that we could prove to ourselves how good we really are. I don't think we have played up to our expectations or abilities." Penn will be relying on the consistent pitching strengths of Vicki Moore, senior Lanie Moore and freshman Melanie Bolt. Also on the defensive end, the Quakers will have to cut down on errors in the field. Nearly every run by the opposition has been scored off a Penn error. At the plate Penn will be hoping its heavy hitters will be able to recapture their strong midseason play. Seniors Hilary Stamos and Stacey Thompson and freshman Laurie Nestler were once regular visitors to the base-running scene, but have been virtually inactive in the teams last five losses. "We are all going to have to really concentrate," Nestler said. "Everybody is trying to slug the ball and make big hits, when we just need to get base hits." Aware of its capabilities, but frustrated by its inability to utilize them, the team feels its biggest obstacle heading into the weekend is its downtrodden attitude. "We really need to change our attitude," Vicki Moore said. "We have to really believe that we can win." Penn's lack of confidence has plagued it before. "I felt that we could have won a lot of the games we lost," Kulp said. "We beat ourselves. We are capable of playing much better." The Quakers' goal is to win their next four games and finish on a positive note. A feasible task for a confident team, a lofty dream for the team that showed up Wednesday. For some members of the team, the disappointment of last week can be diminished only by four victories this weekend. "I'll only feel content if we win all of the games," Vicki Moore said. "It will make me feel like I accomplished something."