Softball | A Wildcat nap after six losses on road

For Penn softball, it feels good to be home.

After yet another disappointing weekend, having dropped a pair of doubleheaders in Ithaca, N.Y., to Ivy League South Division-leading Cornell, the Quakers (9-24-1, 4-8 Ivy) will return to Warren Field this afternoon for their final nonconference matchup against Villanova (17-15).

The Red and Blue are hoping the comfort of home turf will give them a much-needed boost.

"We've had two long weekends away," coach Leslie King said. "It's difficult, but we know the drill. It's tough and it's tiring but it is what it is. We've got to keep putting one foot in front of the other."

For the frustrated Quakers, the sting of this past weekend should operate as an extra impetus to perform well against the Wildcats. Now on a six-game losing streak, the Red and Blue have struggled all season, although most of their losses have been close.

This has left the team anxious and ready to notch a few more marks in its win column. Penn will use today as grounding for future league competition.

"The best way to move on from this past weekend is going to be to take what we learned and try to work on them today in preparation for our next Ivy games," senior pitcher Emily Denstedt said.

Of all the Quakers' pitchers, Denstedt has been having the most difficulty this season. She has garnered an earned run average of 5.33 with a 1-7 win-loss record in 11 games.

This afternoon, Penn will look to freshman Meg Krasne to duplicate her stellar performance from Sunday, a bright spot amongst this past weekend's setbacks. Krasne recorded her first collegiate home run in Game One, then followed that up with a second blast in the nightcap.

The first baseman now has the third highest batting average on the team with a .310 mark.

The Wildcats boast a better overall record than the Quakers, but they have only posted a 3-10 mark in the Big East and have been struggling lately. They have dropped eight of their last ten games, although two of those losses were to No. 16 Louisville.

"They are always a great team to play against," Denstedt said. "We always know they are going to be good competition and good preparation for Ivy play."

The Wildcats' offense is led by senior Meghan Morese and junior Jess O'Boyle, who both post a .310 batting average. Morese also leads her squad with a .510 slugging percentage and five home runs. Senior Megan Hord has paced the Wildcats on the mound with a 2.52 ERA.

"They are having a pretty solid year," King said. "But we are going to go out there and do our best and just try to play good softball."

The two teams met last season at Villanova's home field, where the Quakers won both games of a doubleheader.

Now they hope the rain that is predicted for tomorrow holds off long enough for history to repeat itself.

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