Softball drops first four Ivy games at home

Four games. Four runs. Four defeats. That was the story for the Penn softball team yesterday and Saturday as they dropped consecutive doubleheaders to Ivy rivals Yale and Brown, while putting together only four combined runs in the losses. The offensive struggles began in the Quakers' Ivy League opening doubleheader against Yale on Saturday at Warren Field. Despite a strong pitching effort by star freshman pitcher Becky Ranta, Penn (11-20-1, 0-4) was unable to get on the scoreboard against Yale senior pitcher Teri Hickey. The Quakers fell to the Elis, 1-0. The lone run of the ballgame came in the top of the third with an RBI double from Yale second baseman Kathy Ching. That would be all the support Hickey needed as she stifled the Quakers' bats the rest of the way, giving up only five hits while recording her third shutout of the season. Ranta, who dropped to 7-7, was the tough-luck loser, scattering nine hits in her team-high eighth complete game of the season. The second game appeared to be another close pitchers duel between Penn senior Suzanne Arbogast and Yale hurler Mariah Fike through the first four innings. Each team put one run on the scoreboard in the third inning, the Quakers run coming on an RBI single from freshman designated hitter Heidi Albrecht. But with the game knotted at one, the Elis erupted in the top of the fifth inning, scoring seven times on six hits to open a comfortable 8-1 lead behind a two-run triple from Yale first baseman Monica Lebron. Lebron and the Elis tacked on two more runs in the seventh to cap off the 10-1 victory. Arbogast fell to 2-7 on the season after giving up five runs on four hits while walking eight in 6 2/3 innings. After dropping two to the Elis, the Quakers looked to bounce back against Brown yesterday at Warren Field after the doubleheader, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, was postponed due to snow. But once again, the Penn bats could not get rolling, as the Bears left West Philly with 4-2 and 8-1 victories. In game one, the Quakers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning after freshman shortstop Crista Farrell grounded into a fielders choice with the bases loaded to score Arbogast. But Ranta, pitching in her second consecutive doubleheader, could not hold the Quakers lead, as the Bears scored fours runs in the top of the fourth, capped off by a two-run double by Brown third baseman Tami Parrot. The Quakers added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Penn sophomore third baseman Jen Moore walked and later scored on a wild pitch, but could not get more runs, as they fell to the Bears by a 4-2 margin. Ranta took the loss to fall to 7-8 on the season, while Penn freshman pitcher Dina Parise worked three innings of scoreless relief for the Quakers. But after the game, Penn coach Carol Kashow was less concerned about her team's pitching than the Quakers' lack of offensive production. "We need to score more runs -- we're capable of doing it," Kashow said. "The defense and pitching is solid, and we're getting people on, but we're not getting them home." The nightcap was more of the same for the Red and Blue as they were able to produce only run, dropping their fourth straight game, 8-1. The Quakers took a 1-0 lead in the first with a Moore RBI single, but the Bears fought right back with eight unanswered runs. Arbogast took the loss, but was not helped by her defense, which committed five errors in the game. Only one of the runs the senior pitcher gave up was earned. Brown hurler Erin Durlesser, who allowed one run on three hits in her complete game victory, was very satisfied with the win. "I felt like my team was behind me, and I felt like I was in control of myself and was able to hit my spots," Durlesser said. "These wins are really important for us." The Quakers know that they have the ability to turn things around. "We expect a lot more from the team than we've been showing," freshman outfielder Deb Kowalchuk said. "We're not playing up to our potential."

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