Softball manages a split in South Bethlehem

The Penn softball team was unable to put together a four-game winning streak, losing the first of two by a 3-2 score. The Penn softball team went into yesterday's doubleheader at Lehigh brimming with confidence following Sunday's 10-2 and 23-0 drubbings of Columbia's club team. The Quakers were sure their offensive display would carry over to their games against the Engineers. But it didn't. The Quakers lack of production at the plate cost them yet another game this season. Penn (8-17) dropped the first game 3-2 in extra innings, before bouncing back to take the second game 5-4. The Quakers have been struggling to overcome their offensive woes all season. The front end of the twin bill marked the 15th game this season in which the Red and Blue have failed to score more than two runs, including seven times that their offense was shut out. "We've been hitting the ball hard but right at them," sophomore Kari Dennis said. "One or two people would hit well, but not everyone at the same time. Today everyone was hitting and we strung a series together." Penn has also showed its inconsistency in hanging on to close games, dropping six games which were decided by two or fewer runs. Both of yesterday's games went right down to the wire. In the first game, the teams were knotted at two heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. Lehigh scored the decisive run on a wild pitch by sophomore Suzanne Arbogast. The only spark at the plate for the Quakers was Dennis, who was 2-for-2 at the plate for the game. Penn trailed by two after six innings of play in the second game before plating two runs in the top of the seventh on a double by Lauren Mishner. After letting the first game get away, Arbogast picked up her seventh win of the season in this contest with 2 1/3 innings of relief pitching. "Between games we talked about getting more people on base and believing that we can win," freshman outfielder Vicky Frondozo said. "You don't just accept the results. You find a way to win." Despite the rejuvenated effort in the back end of the double header, the Quakers are still searching to find more offensive production. Penn's troubles at the plate come somewhat as a surprise this season, as three of their top hitters returned from the 1997 campaign. Junior captain Sherryl Fodera was the league batting champion last year with a .425 batting average. That along with 25 RBIs, a .566 slugging percentage and a .460 on-base percentage earned her a unanimous first team All-Ivy League selection. Fodera has yet to find her stroke this season and is batting under .250. Sophomore catcher Sarah Dominic was an honorable mention All-Ivy League selection last year for her .308 batting average, 22 RBIs and defensive work behind the plate. Dennis also fared well last season, hitting .304 in 23 at bats. With experience in the batters box, the Quakers were more concerned with pitching at the start of the season. They were relying on the young arms of Arbogast, sophomore Joy Silvern and freshman Lee Pepe. Silvern was a question mark in the rotation, having come off of shoulder surgery in July. Fortunately for the Quakers, the pitching has been solid and has kept them in the game when their bats were silent. "Our pitching has been the most stable part of our game this year," Mishner said. "The pitchers have all been very consistent." Until Penn's lineup finds its hitting shoes, the Quakers will continue to rely on the short game to generate runs. This system of bunting and trying to advance the runner one base at a time is sufficient in keeping the score close, but makes it difficult to take a commanding lead. "[The short game] was a huge factor today," Mishner said. "The sacrifice bunt led to a run twice. It's what makes everything go for us."