Softball sweeps, gets swept over weekend

The record looms over the Penn softball team every time it takes the field. No strike or lockout can stop the Quakers from earning a permanent spot in the University record book. But it is a record to be avoided, not to be pursued. With 23 losses heading into this past weekend, Penn is trying not to become the first team in school history to lose 30 games. In getting swept by Yale in a doubleheader at Warren Field last Friday, the Quakers racked up losses number 24 and 25. With 10 games remaining on the schedule, it looked like the record was inevitable. But Saturday against Brown, Penn did not look like a 30-loss team. On the contrary, the Quakers (10-25, 2-4 Ivy League) looked like a team that could finish near the top of the Ivy League standings. It was a trademark Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde weekend for Penn. In game one of Friday's doubleheader, the Quakers were dominated by the Elis (18-14, 5-2) in every facet of the game. Yale's 9-0 victory was its most lopsided win all season. The Elis' nine-run explosion was also their second-highest tally of the season. The Penn defense committed five errors in the game, allowing Yale to score its nine runs off just 10 hits. The Quakers' offense, on the other hand, struggled against the Ivy League's top hurler. Jennifer Surface, the conference ERA leader, tossed a complete-game four-hitter. "I thought she threw well, but we just didn't hit her," Penn's Vicki Moore said. "I think we were intimidated. We weren't in the right mindset. She's not at all unhittable." In the second game, Penn shut down the Elis' attack behind strong pitching from Moore. The sophomore went the distance, allowing just two runs off eight hits. The Quakers' defense was kinder to Moore than it was to Melanie Bolt in the opener, as Penn only made one error. "As a pitcher, it makes me feel a lot more confident, knowing my teammates are executing in the field," Moore said. "We had a few minutes in between the two games, and that was what we were thinking about -- cutting down on the errors." Yale threw another strong pitcher, Megan Kenny, at the Quakers in the nightcap. The freshman sensation has won the conference Rookie of the Week award twice this season and was second in the conference in ERA earlier this year. Against the Quakers, Kenny compensated for the tired Elis offense by pitching a complete-game two-hitter. Although the Quakers' offense only managed one run, the 2-1 loss was at least a moral victory -- and with 25 defeats, any victory is a welcome one. Penn built on its strong showing when the Bears visited Warren Field Saturday. Brown (9-14, 4-4) may not be as talented as Yale, but going into the weekend, the Bears had a one-and-a-half game lead in the conference standings. The Quakers won the first game, 8-3, behind an 11-hit explosion. Penn racked up the 11 hits off one of the Ancient Eight's strongest pitchers, Katie King. King entered the weekend with a 1.94 ERA in 115 1/3 innings of work. She ranks in the top five in the Ivy League in wins, ERA and strikeouts. "We've been working on hitting the ball where it's pitched, not just waiting for the perfect pitch," Penn's Dawn Kulp said. "I think that made a big difference." With a 6-3 win in game two, Penn completed its most impressive doubleheader this season. In fact, it was only the second time the Quakers were on the winning side of a sweep all year. Moore had her second strong outing in as many days, holding the Bears to only five hits. The Penn defense stood tall behind Moore, committing only one error. For the first time all season, the Quakers collected double-digit hits in two straight games. They followed up their 11 hits in the first game with 10 more off King, who pitched both ends of the twin bill. "We just decided that we were going to get on her early," Moore said. "We knew she was the only pitcher they had." With the two toughest conference doubleheaders behind it now, Penn actually has a shot to finish in the middle of the Ivy League pack. But the Quakers will have to continue to get solid defense and production from all nine hitters.