Softball looks to 'engineer' a win streak

If the Penn softball team can sweep a doubleheader from sub-.500 Lehigh, it will have a season-high win streak. In its doubleheader against Lehigh today at 3 p.m., Penn softball will look to build upon the momentum they gained in last weekend's crushing victories over Columbia. "The wins over Columbia brought a little confidence back to us in the batter's box," Penn coach Carol Kashow said. "We were swinging our bats." The Quakers are not expecting the same type of club-level competition (7-15) out of the Engineers -- last year's Patriot League Champions --that they saw from the Lions. Though it graduated three of its key players, Lehigh has battled back strong, pulling off comparable results to Penn in games against Rider and La Salle. Both the Quakers and the Engineers dropped two games to Rider and split their doubleheader with La Salle. Even though this game is not within the Ivy League, the team is approaching it with the same attitude they have each time they step on the field. "We play each game the same," Kashow said. "We try and focus on what we do strong and stay really even keeled and grind it out on an even basis." Penn is concerned about the Engineers' strength in the batter's box, but is turning the spotlight on their own play. "If we play our game, then we can play with anyone," Penn senior captain Jen Strawley said. "When we come out and try to play but are scared of other people, then we let other players jump out ahead of us early. We can not play from behind like that; we need to come out on fire from the beginning, and I think that is what we have not been doing." Strawley continued to say that much of the confidence necessary to jump out ahead in the beginning has to come from her and the other upperclassmen. She noted that the underclassmen are ready and have the desire to win, but it is still up to the upperclassmen to "step up and expect more in general, and believe in themselves." Strawley added that they all have confidence in each other. It is on the individual level the their belief in themselves falters. The pitching today will fall into the hands of College sophomore Joy Silvern and freshman Lee Pepe. Both women have increased their consistency and endurance as the season has progressed, especially Pepe, who completed her last three starting games. "Lee [Pepe] has been really consistent," Kashow said. "[She is] getting many ground ball outs and not many balls leave the infield." Another of Penn's pitchers -- College sophomore Suzanne Arbogast -- has also overcome the fourth inning hump and has completed games for the Quakers, leaving Silvern left to notch a complete game. The Quakers are hoping that Silvern will complete the first game for them and join the ranks with the other seven-inning pitchers. Penn is working hard now in practice to iron out the inconsistency in their defensive play. Kashow is stressing to her players the need to "possess" the ball. This entails two points for coach Kashow; one is to keep your eye on the ball, and the other is to use two hands and control the ball. "We need to jump on them early, score runs and show them we came to play too," Strawley said. Penn is making the strides within its program that are necessary for the Quakers to prove themselves not only to their competition but to themselves as well.