Penn softball is anxious.
Anxious to notch a few more marks in its win column, that is.
After suffering two disappointing defeats to Harvard on Monday, the Quakers (5-17-1, 1-3 Ivy) will look to rebound when they make the short trip to La Salle (3-13) today for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
Penn coach Leslie King is confident in her team's ability to bounce back.
"I don't think the losses will affect us adversely," she said. "We competed very well against Harvard, and we were very much in both games."
If anything, these setbacks should serve as additional motivation for the Quakers to play well against the Explorers today. The young Red and Blue squad has been struggling this season, but most of these losses have been close ones, leaving the Quakers frustrated and eager for the tide to finally turn.
"It's tough to lose," sophomore Alisha Prystowsky said. "But we're going to use the game against La Salle as a way to figure out what we need to do before this weekend's Ivy League matchups so we can get back to the same level of play we displayed in our win against Dartmouth."
Prystowsky has been the catalyst of the Quakers' offense this season, leading the team in batting average (.355), slugging percentage (.629) and runs scored (16).
Her bat has been especially potent recently. Over Penn's last six games, the Montclair, N.J., native has recorded hits in nine of her 17 at-bats, good for a stellar .529 batting average.
The Quakers' sophomore might be tough to handle for a La Salle team that has had its own problems lately, having dropped its last four games. While their 3-13 record looks a lot like the Quakers' 5-17 mark, the Explorers' losses have come at far greater deficits than those of the Quakers.
The two teams met last season at Penn's Warren Field, where the Quakers won both games of a doubleheader.
King believes history can and will repeat itself, but not without a tough performance from the Quakers.
"We have to continue to push," she said. "The Explorers are a team we've had success against in the past, and they've been struggling this season too. This is a great opportunity for us to get some wins."
