Double headache for Quakers

As the softball team awaits the arrival of its new pitching coach Lisa Sweeney, Penn saw firsthand the effects of dominant play on the mound courtesy of St. Joseph’s.

On Wednesday afternoon at Warren Field, the Quakers were held to just six combined runs over two losses to the Hawks, 2-5 and 4-13 in the nightcap.

“We faced the two best pitchers that we’ve seen all year, but having a strong non-conference schedule is the best way to elevate our game,” coach Leslie King said of St. Joe’s starters, Erin Gallagher and Taryn Ashway.

In order to do just that, Penn (5-5) will have to address its biggest issues: pitching and defense.

“We need to find a way to take the game piece by piece and focus on one part at a time,” senior captain Alisha Prystowsky said. “We need to shut down runs. It’s hard to come back when we are down.”

Help, though, is on the way in the form of Sweeney.

“We have been without a pitching coach for two months, but we have a coach on board now, and we are confident that she can shape the pitching staff for Ivy League play,” King said.

Another reason the Quakers are optimistic is because they did manage to put up a few runs against the Hawks (12-5) while down.

“We kept scoring and didn’t give up after falling behind,” Prystowsky said. “We took it inning by inning. We did really well in Florida, so we know what we are capable of.”

One of the day’s few bright spots for Penn was a solo home run by freshman Georgia Guttadauro in the fifth inning of the second game. Her blast energized the team and provided some excitement on a otherwise tough day.

In the earlier matchup, pitcher Taylor Tieman steadied the Quakers. She threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen and her effort kept Penn within striking distance. The Quakers, however, were blanked in the final two innings.

The Red and Blue will look to improve their pitching and overall performance as they take on another tough opponent, No. 25 Syracuse, which is riding a three-game winning streak, this Friday at Warren Field.

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