Maturing Softball heads north to end Ivy season

After big-time splits at home, Penn heads to Harvard and Dartmouth to end Ivy season. After finally getting a taste of winning in the Ivy League, the Penn softball team will try to prove that last weekend's gutsy, come-from-behind wins were not a fluke. Although the Quakers were only able to split both of their doubleheaders last weekend against Princeton and Cornell, that in itself is quite an accomplishment for the young Penn squad. In fact, for seniors Michelle Zaptin, Suzanne Arbogast and Kari Dennis, it was the first time that they had beaten either team. The Quakers had last topped Princeton in 1991 and Cornell in 1994. Penn, 2-6 in the Ivies and 13-24-1 overall, will look to even its league record this weekend in doubleheaders against Harvard and Dartmouth. It would be quite a feat for the Red and Blue to finish the Ivy season at .500 after a slow start which saw the team start off 0-4 in the Ancient Eight. Neither of the two monumental wins for Penn came easily. Against the Tigers, the Quakers valiantly fought back from a 1-0 deficit to take a 3-1 victory. The key for Penn was a clutch sixth-inning rally in which the Quakers put all three of their runs on the board. "I'm quite proud of my team," Penn coach Carol Kashow said. "Both of our wins were come-from-behind victories. We faced adversity, but that didn't stop us. We're growing up a little and maturing." Penn's victory against Cornell was even more exciting. The Quakers showed a great deal of poise in coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh. In its last chance to tie up the game, Penn came through with a string of key hits and a sacrifice fly by Jen Moore that knotted the game at three. The three Penn seniors finally secured their first victory against the Big Red when sophomore stand-out Clarisa Apostol singled home freshman catcher Dani Landolt. If Penn hopes to finish the Ivy season with a bang, the Quakers will need to play their best softball for four straight games. Although Penn notched huge wins over Princeton and Cornell, in both cases the Quakers were embarrassed in the second game -- the Red and Blue were shut out in the nightcaps of both doubleheaders. Not only was Penn shut out by both Princeton and Cornell, but the Quakers fell victim to softball's most humiliating feat-- a perfect game. Last week's Ivy League Player of the Week Brie Galacinao showed off a gaudy array of pitches in stoning the Penn batters. Penn has probably seen about enough of Galacinao to last a lifetime. Not only was the sophomore simply superb from the mound, but she also managed to go a perfect 3-3 from the plate and score two runs. Beating Harvard will definitely not be an easy task for Penn. Although the Crimson sport an unimpressive 11-18 record overall, Harvard has yet to be beaten by a league opponent and sits at 3-0. Harvard has been no less than completely dominant thus far into their trip through the Ancient Eight. The Crimson's biggest test was a 5-3 win over Dartmouth, and coach Jenny Allard's team has outscored its Ivy League competitors by an amazing count of 27-7. Dartmouth appears to be a little less intimidating than Harvard. The ladies from Hanover have split doubleheaders against Brown and Yale and sit at 2-3 in the Ivies. The Big Green are led by sophomore Sarah Damon, who is batting .348 for the year. Penn's pitching will likely be tested early and often by a Dartmouth team that boasts four players with batting averages above .300. By capping off its home schedule with a pair of emotional and poignant victories, Penn has a chance to wrap up its Ivy campaign on a definite high note.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.