Softball has fitting opponent

In the midst of a six-game skid, the Penn softball team finds itself playing perhaps the perfect opponent. Since starting the season 8-7, the team has dropped six consecutive games in doubleheaders against Delaware, Princeton and Drexel. In those six games, the Quakers (8-13) have managed only five runs. "Delaware had some decent pitching and Drexel had very good pitching and we struggled with that," Penn coach Carol Kashow said. "Lehigh is not a bad team for us to play. I think we match up well against them." Given Penn's lack of offensive output in recent weeks, the Engineers (11-15) -- who visit Warren Field today at 3:30 p.m. -- may prove to be a favorable opponent because pitching is not their strong suit. Lacking clearcut No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers, all four Lehigh pitchers have started at least three games this season. Collectively, batters are hitting .298 against the Engineers' hurlers, whereas Penn opponents are batting .283. On paper, Lehigh's best pitcher seems to be freshman Stephanie Howell. Howell has started all 10 of her appearances and has a team-low 2.63 earned run average. However, Howell has only recorded 21 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings pitched. "If you have a kid getting many strikeouts for you that makes it easier on the defense," Kashow said. Given the mediocrity of the Engineers pitching staff, Lehigh certainly makes up for it at bat. Junior centerfielder Tara Stine and classmate Stephanie Rapel, who plays rightfield, lead an offense that scores a shade over four runs per game. Hitting .315, Rapel leads the team with 20 runs batted in, five triples and two doubles. On defense, she has committed only one error, good for a fielding percentage of .987 that is the best among Lehigh's everyday players. Stine, the Engineers' leadoff hitter, leads the Lehigh assault with her combination of power and speed. As a leadoff hitter, it comes as no surprise that she paces the team with 17 stolen bases. Moreover, she is yet to be caught stealing. "The idea with anyone who has been stealing a lot of bases is to work really hard to keep them off base," Kashow said. "If Stine does get on, we're going to have to throw her out the first time, so she thinks twice about trying it again." As if her speed isn't enough of a threat, she has the potential to go yard -- she's already hit three home runs this season. Her .350 batting average and .488 slugging percentage also lead the Engineers. "'Stiney's a good ballplayer," Kashow said. "I tried to recruit her to Temple when I was there." Last season, Penn and Lehigh split a doubleheader in Bethlehem, Pa. Lehigh took the first game when Penn pitcher Suzanne Arbogast threw a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth to give Lehigh a 3-2 victory. Arbogast, however, didn't have to wait until this season to exact revenge, as she pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief in the second game. The Quakers were tied going into the seventh, scored two runs to take the lead and held on for a 5-4 Arbogast win. Arbogast missed her start last Saturday against Drexel with a stomach virus but she is feeling better and will be pitching today along with junior pitcher Michelle Zaptin. Pitching is not Kashow's primary concern right now as she has spent most of this week's practice trying to simulate game-like situations. "In practice we've been creating the types of situations in which we've been making mistakes, particularly under game conditions with runners on and having the responsibility of moving runners," Kashow said. "There's no reason why we shouldn't come out strong, end this mini-slump we're in and turn things around before we go on the road this weekend."

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