Softball | Two little, two late - again

If the Penn softball season were a cookbook, yesterday's games would follow a familiar recipe: start with a manageable opponent, add in a slow start, mix in a comeback attempt, let it sit for a while and you get another nail-biting loss.

Yesterday's doubleheader against a struggling Drexel squad once again ended in disappointment, as the Quakers fell 6-5 and 5-3 at Drexel Field.

"It was a miserable day," coach Leslie King said. "It was not pleasant to be outside, but the girls battled and refused to give up."

In the opening game, the Quakers' chances were quickly diminished as the Dragons (22-16) put five runs on the scoreboard in the third inning. Penn (12-26-1, 7-9 Ivy) had several opportunities to even the score early, but was unable to convert hits into runs.

"We had several bad at-bats with runners in scoring position," sophomore first baseman Kelsey Wolfe said. "We definitely need to improve on our situational hitting."

Although the Quakers couldn't overcome the early deficit, the contest did not end without a final thrill.

Heading into the seventh down 6-4,the Quakers began a comeback. Alisha Prystowsky started the inning with a double and scored on a single by Wolfe. With the tying run on base and two outs, the Quakers were ready to send the game into extra innings - if not steal the victory. However, the Dragons managed to escape with a put-out at the plate.

"Since Drexel scored the majority of is runs in one inning, we ended the game feeling positive about our overall performance," Wolfe said. "If it wasn't for that [inning], we would have won."

In the nightcap, Penn was once again undone early as Drexel pounded the Quakers for five runs in the first inning.

Despite being down 5-0, the Quakers weren't out of it yet. In the top of third, Penn's bats started to chip away at the lead and put two runs on the scoreboard.

But Penn's comeback efforts proved to be too little, too late, as the game was called after five innings due to rain.

"Although we made some good plays and hit the ball fairly well in both games, we found ourselves down in situations that we couldn't overcome," King said.

As the Quakers enter the home stretch of what has increasingly become a forgettable campaign, they are not without some bright spots.

Freshman outfielder Sarah Patrick, who has begun to assert herself as one of the team's most formidable threats on offense, blasted a home run in the first game - her second in less than a week - and added a double in the nightcap.

"Sarah played really well for us today," King said. "She has started to see the ball really well. We moved her up in the lineup, which increased her confidence at the plate."

On the mound, ace Jess Lupardus came through with another dominating performance. After entering game one in the third inning, she shut out Drexel, allowing only two hits.

Despite the results on the scoreboard - and the change in their record - the Quakers have a different outlook for the rest of the season.

"We play for ourselves," Wolfe said. "These final games are more about having fun for us."

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