Dirty 30 as Softball loses its final three

Penn hit the 30-loss plateau for the second time in shcool history. It was a fitting end to a disappointing season for the Penn softball team this past weekend. The Quakers dropped their final three Ivy League contests to drop to 2-10 in Ancient Eight competition, while falling to 13-30-1 overall. Needless to say, the Red and Blue were not very happy with these results. "Our record is not indicative of the talent we have on our team," sophomore third baseman Jen Moore said. "It's just that we couldn't put it all together at the same time." The troubles began on Friday when the Quakers fell to league-leading Harvard, 9-1, in a rescheduled game. Harvard pitcher Chelsea Thoke, who got beat up by Penn in the previous game, silenced the Quakers bats, allowing just one unearned run off five hits to earn the win. Penn freshman pitcher Becky Ranta, who had been stellar for the Quakers all season, could not contain the Crimson's offensive firepower. She was ousted after three innings after giving up five runs on five hits. "In my opinion, Harvard is the strongest team in the Ivies," Penn coach Carol Kashow said. "They just keep coming at you offensively." Penn wrapped up its season on Sunday when it traveled to Hanover, N.H., to square off in a twin bill against Dartmouth. And despite the fact that the games were a bit more closely contested, the Quakers still fell short, 5-2 and 2-0, to conclude their disappointing season. Penn took a short-lived lead in the opener after scoring two unearned runs in the fourth, but the Big Green bounced right back with a four-run fifth inning highlighted by an RBI double from Kisa Brannen and an RBI triple from Jenny Harsey. Ranta suffered her second loss in as many games, giving up five runs on seven hits in five innings. She ended her first collegiate season with a 9-11 record. Dartmouth was led to victory by star freshman pitcher Christine Quattrocchi, who just a weekend before shut down Ivy powerhouse Princeton. Quattrocchi held Penn to two unearned runs on six hits for the complete-game victory. It was more of the same in the nightcap as Penn's bats could simply not get going. The Quakers wasted a strong pitching performance by senior Michelle Zaptin as they were shut out, 2-0. Zaptin turned in a fine performance in the final game of her career, allowing just two runs on five hits in four innings. But Dartmouth pitcher Stacy Sanders outdueled the Penn senior to give the Big Green the victory, tossing a three-hit complete game shutout. One of Penn's three hits, however, was a big one. With two outs in the fourth inning, Moore doubled to center field to record her 45th hit of the season, a new Penn single-season record. "It was very reflective of Jen's continuing development as a ballplayer and an athlete," Kashow said of the hit record. "She is on the way to realizing her potential." Moore, however, played down her rather impressive accomplishment. "Putting perspective on it nationally, 45 hits is no big deal at all," Moore said. "It's just a big deal here because softball is not a big thing. Raising the bar is always good." Moore's hit record was one of the few bright spots in a season that saw the Quakers finish in last place in the Ivy League. However, Kashow, while being disappointed with her team's record, found some bright spots for the future. "It certainly was disappointing that we didn't win more games in the Ivies," said Kashow, who cited a tough schedule and a young team as the main reason for Penn's subpar record. "But by beating quality teams like Princeton and Cornell, it shows that we can go toe-to-toe with any of the teams in the Ivies." And with a team filled with freshmen and sophomores, Kashow is excited and optimistic for what is in store for the Penn softball team. "Overall, I'm really proud of how a relatively young team handled a tough schedule," Kashow said. "It is quite promising for the future."