Softball seeks new outlook in doubleheader at home

The Pen softball team hopes to find a new mental approach to the game after a rough break. The mental training that the Penn women's softball team has been doing must be working. Coming off a tough road trip to Florida 1-8 would hurt the confidence of any other team. Penn is anything but worried after the slow start. In fact, the Quakers can't wait to hit the field again for today's doubleheader against crosstown rival Villanova at 2:30 p.m. at Warren Field. To be effective against Villanova, the Quakers are going to have to increase their run production -- their biggest weakness in Florida. The Red and Blue were blanked three times and scored only one run in each of three other games. Freshman Vicky Frondozo led the way for Penn with a .409 batting average and five runs scored. Frondozo has experience playing against tough competition--she played softball in the Junior Olympics. "I was definitely relaxed at the plate," Frondozo said. "I am pretty much used to the competitive nature of the girls. They don't scare me." Frondozo, also an excellent defensive center fielder, will be key to the Quakers' offensive game plan of getting runners on base and using the short game to advance runners one base at a time. Frondozo is an expert bunter and slap hitter, and has proven she can execute this scheme effectively. Taking the mound in one end of the doubleheader is sophomore ace Joy Silvern. Silvern is still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, following her excellent 1997 campaign in which she recorded the victory in eight of the Quakers' 14 wins. Silvern, though 0-2 in Florida, led the team with a 1.25 ERA. "I'm just happy that I am able to pitch," Silvern said. "I'm not completely healthy, but I'm throwing harder than I did last year. I just don't have the endurance." The other game will be started by sophomore Suzanne Arbogast, who holds the only Quaker win so far this season--an 8-0 shutout. Arbogast has spent her practice time concentrating on the mental aspects of the game. "My biggest problem is a lack of confidence," Arbogast said. "I sometimes feel like I need the coach's confidence and I need to have all the players confident in me. "In practice I have complete focus and think that every pitch counts. I throw every pitch like I'm in the game and its full count." Arbogast has tried various techniques to help her under pressure. She has tried visualization, working with the team's mental trainer, and even reading a book the team was given. "I'll try anything," Arbogast said. Penn still remains hopeful about the rest of the season, and views the past week as a good learning experience. "Our record is not completely indicative of the way we played in Florida and the strides that we made, especially toward the end of the week," senior captain Jen Strawley said. "In the last four games, we played some tough competition and we played pretty well." The last four games included a win over UNC-Wilmington, a narrow loss to Rhode Island, and a tough game against Big Ten powerhouse Michigan State which is ranked among the nation's top 25. It is not easy to turn a program around that has had 13 consecutive losing seasons, but the Quakers agreed that they have certainly made steps in the right direction. Penn coach Carol Kashow considers the general progress the team has made and their understanding of her plan to be the Quakers' biggest accomplishment so far this season. Kashow has stressed the importance of having good practices and working hard on every play even though it is repeated over and over, because the team will only get one chance in the game to get it right.