Injuries force Softball to alter line-up

The Penn softball team has fielded a remarkably consistent lineup this season, with the same starting nine penciled in for nearly every game. The recent ankle injury to starting shortstop Crista Farrell, however, has forced a shakeup in the Quakers lineup -- something the team cannot afford because of its lack of depth. With Farrell out of commission last weekend, freshman Veronica Richardson, the usual first baseman, shifted over to shortstop for the Red and Blue. Sophomore Erica Miller stepped in at first. "Veronica particularly did a good job shifting to shortstop after Crista got hurt," Penn outfielder Deb Kowalchuk said. "It's a totally different position from first base." Kowalchuk herself made a position change over the weekend, catching the back end of the Columbia doubleheader to give starter Dani Landolt a rest. Penn lost not only a leadoff hitter in Farrell, but also one of its two bench spots. Junior co-captain Lindsay Wagner and Miller have been Penn's primary substitutes this season, but with the lineup changes each saw starting action last weekend. This lack of depth has been one of the Achilles' heels for Penn all season. The departure of catcher Heidi Albrecht early in the season -- as well as the preseason losses of pitcher Dina Parise and utility player Molly Meehan -- have left Penn coach Carol Kashow with little flexibility regarding the lineup. The team currently uses eleven players in the field and has only two active pitchers. With Farrell injured and sophomore Lisa McNeeley serving as the regular at designated player, this leaves one fielder on the bench and one pitcher for each game of the teams' doubleheaders. "Basically we have very little depth, but in the face of that we've shown what we can do," McNeeley said. "[Richardson] moved to short and did a tremendous job. We can get by for the moment without the depth." Penn's players have proved to be extremely flexible, and thus far have managed to put together a 13-26 record (3-9 Ivy League) heading into the Quakers' final weekend of Ivy play. "We're all getting up to finish the last eight games strong and have them make a difference," McNeeley said. "We want to leave the season on a good note and a strong note." Before wrapping up their Ivy season against rival Princeton on Saturday, the Red and Blue must first face Delaware (18-19). The Blue Hens have rode the strong right arm of senior pitcher Susan Dugan this season. Dugan, Delaware's first-ever 20 game winner last season, is the only Blue Hens pitcher with a winning record. She owns an 11-6 record and an ERA of 2.04. The problem for Delaware this year has been putting enough runs on the board to support their pitchers. The Blue Hens have been shut out 12 times and have been outscored, 137-106. Leading the way on offense is junior Amanda Cariello, who pulls double-duty as a pitcher and an outfielder. Cariello leads the Blue Hens in most of the major offensive categories with a .355 average, 9 doubles, and 20 RBIs. The key for the Quakers today will be holding Cariello and the rest of the Delaware bats in check. Taking the mound for the Quakers will be the typical tandem of sophomore Becky Ranta and freshman Nicki Borgstadt. "Becky and Nicki are getting a little beat up from the long season," Kowalchuk said. "But they're practicing hard and doing well at this point." Borgstadt continued to flash her potential last weekend, hurling a five-hit shutout over Columbia for Penn's third Ivy win. Penn's reshuffled lineup will be looking to the pair for help as they try to put their hitting together for its last few doubleheaders of the season. "Mostly this week we'll be working on hitting with runners in scoring position," Kowalchuk said. "We need to capitalize on opportunities that we're given."

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