Softball's Fodera: down and dirty

For Sherryl Fodera, playing hard is the only way to lead. Eating dirt is not very appetizing, but Sherryl Fodera does it anyway. She wears her bruises proudly, as a symbol of her diving efforts to snag ground balls. She's intense, determined, and a team leader. That is why Fodera plays shortstop, and that is why she's a Quaker. Fodera, a sophomore from New Egypt, N.J., excels in every facet of the game. As the starting shortstop, she leads the team in assists, meaning she fields more balls and throws out more runners than anyone. And Fodera is not afraid to get her uniform dirty, often sacrificing her body to get in front of a sharply hit ball. Batting in the third slot, she may be the most consistent hitter in the lineup. She leads the team in batting average (.394), hits (28), slugging percentage (.563), triples (4) and doubles (4). As a high school star at Allentown High School., it was her coach, Bob MacReynolds, and her father that first turned her on to Penn as a school. However, it wasn't until she met Penn coach Linda Carothers that her mind was made up. "I had already had a few recruiting at some schools with winning records, but that wasn't really what I was looking for so much? It's definitely a lot of fun to win, but when I met with coach, I immediately knew Penn was where I was going to go," Fodera said. "I remember liking what she said and liking where I would fit in." Carothers was not wrong about Fodera fitting in. In her freshman year, she led the team in home runs, RBI and runs scored, co-winning the team MVP award. Now, as a sophomore, Fodera has been asked to assume a leadership role on a team with a heavy underclass influence, including several freshmen. Fodera's role as a quiet leader on the team did not excite her at first. "But it really hasn't been bad at all," Fodera said. "They haven't made me get up and say anything." They don't have to. Everyone else on the team looks to her as a role model. Fodera talks with the freshmen constantly, helping them adjust and improve. She shares the left side of the infield with freshman Sarah Dominic, who has not disappointed. Dominic leads the team in home runs and RBI, just as Fodera did as a freshman. Fodera's outstanding play earned her the Ivy League Player of the Week honors last week. "I was honored, but I never really thought about it or considered it a possibility," Fodera said. "I think it shows how we have come together as a team." Fodera's humility and modesty is what makes her so well liked by her teammates and the coaches. When we found out she won the Player of the Week, we couldn't tell her," Carothers said. "She had just played a bad game and the team lost. She would have been upset. That's the kind of person and player Fodera is." According to Fodera, it is a rejuvenated team spirit and winning attitude that has contributed to the softball team's turnaround (12-13, 2-2 Ivy League) from a season ago. "This team is a lot different from last year's," Fodera explained. "We have much better chemistry. We're constantly picking each other up and motivating one another." At times this season, however, Fodera has shouldered the brunt of the offensive load. In the two games against Cornell this weekend, Fodera was the only Penn player to record a hit in the first game and knocked in Penn's only two runs in the second game. She has reached base safely in a team-leading five consecutive games. Carothers, who has taken the heat over the last few seasons for her teams' lack of success, deserves credit for Fodera and the team's success. Her last two consecutive recruiting classes have been contributing on a regular basis. This afternoon, Fodera and the rest of the Quakers host La Salle (18-11) at Warren Field at 3 p.m. The Explorers may prove to be the toughest team Penn has played thus far. La Salle coach Ray Perri leads a team seasoned with talented veterans and top recruits into today's twi-night doubleheader. "I think we are going to continue improving," Fodera said. "We're going to try and prove that we can play with the best of them. We want to win, but if we lose, we want to make it respectable."