Softball's losing skid continues against Hens

The Penn softball team entered the doubleheader against Delaware yesterday hoping to snap the six-game slump that started in the middle of its West Coast trip.

But misfortune followed the Quakers east, as Delaware handed the team a pair of losses, with scores of 5-0 and 8-5.

The Blue Hens' pitching dominated the first game, allowing Penn (4-8) a mere three hits with no runs scored.

Although the Quakers' offense wasn't able to generate a run, the field was the ultimate cause of the defeat.

Penn's defense faltered in the first came, committing a total of five errors that led to two unearned runs by the Blue Hens (11-5).

"You can't make five errors," Penn coach Leslie King said. "If you give a team that many chances, they're going to score runs on you."

The squad was unable to overcome this setback despite another solid pitching performance from freshman Emily Denstadt, who allowed only four hits in the whole game.

In an effort to overcome the shutout in Game 1, the Quakers started off the second game strong with three unanswered runs going into the bottom of the second.

Junior Stephanie Reichert started the charge in the first at-bat with a double to left that led to the team's first run of the day when sophomore shortstop Christina Khosravi's single drove her in.

Sophomore Kaelin Ainley scored Penn's second run, and freshman Ilyssa Coghlan added another as a pinch runner for junior Melissa Haffner.

But Penn's luck would turn in the bottom of the second inning as junior pitcher Lindsey Permar struggled with her control, hitting the first of the Blue Hens' batters with a pitch and walking their next five.

Junior pitcher Olivia Mauro relieved Permar mid-inning, but the damage was too great to mend.

In total, all eight of Delaware's runs were scored in the dismal second inning.

Although the Quakers answered in the third and fifth innings with runs by sophomore Annie Kinsey, the deficit was too great to overcome.

Kinsey and Haffner were the main offensive strengths for the Quakers in the second game of the doubleheader, each going 2-for-4.

Reichert hit 2-for-4 as well, with two RBIs and one run scored. Khosravi added one RBI, also with a 2-for-4 game.

"We hit the ball very, very well in the second game," King said. "Overall I was very pleased with our hitting and good defense" in Game 2, despite the result.

King also saw room for improvement looking ahead to the Ivy League season.

"All in all we did some good things, but we didn't put it together," King said. "My goal is to learn from our mistakes and put it together by April for better league play."

The Quakers will have another chance to put the pieces together and snap their eight-game losing streak this weekend, as they return to Delaware to compete in the Bash at the Beach tournament.

The tournament consists of five games at Lewes, Del. in a three day span, against Delaware State, Delaware, Marist and St. Francis.

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