Slumping Scots: Softball drops last four

by Ian Van Anden
Asst. Sports Editor

The Fighting Scots' softball team had a very rough end of the season, as they lost seven of their last nine games. This includes losing their last four in two doubleheaders, the first against Illinois College and the second against Grinnell College.

The Scots looked to be having their best month in some time as they dominated in the Midwest Conference Classic. The Scots won their first four games before losing to St. Norbert 11-3 in the final game of the Classic.

The Scots then hit a rough patch, losing their next three games. This stretch included being swept in a doubleheader by Illinois Wesleyan University. On Thursday, April 13, the Scots took the field twice to see how they matched up against IWU.

The Scots saw IWU put 11 runs on the scoreboard, while the Scots could only muster three. After their 11-3 loss in the first game, the Scots attempted to do a little better in the final game of the doubleheader. The second game was a much lower scoring affair. The Scots fell to IWU 4-2.

Less than a week later on Wednesday, April 19, the Scots traveled to Eureka, Ill., to compete against Eureka College. The Scots lost their fourth straight game to Eureka, falling 1-2 despite an impressive pitching performance by freshman Sarah Christensen. Christensen had a solid six-inning, seven-hit outing, while also tallying two strikeouts.

In the game, the Scots left a runner stranded at third in the top of the seventh that would have tied the game. Junior Katie Hamilton tripled, allowing sophomore Anna Coutts to score.

The Scots returned to their winning ways they had found against their Midwest Conference foes when they met Knox for another doubleheader Wednesday, April 26. The Scots blew out the Prairie fire 16-6 in the first game.

The Scots returned to the field for the back end to hold the Prairie Fire to two runs on seven hits. Freshman Amanda Boonstra went the distance for the Scots, pitching six innings of seven-hit ball, walking two and striking out seven.

With four games remaining on the schedule, the Scots had two Midwest Conference doubleheaders to look forward to. First, the Scots traveled to Illinois College on Thursday, April 27 for their first doubleheader. The Scots fell hard in the front end of the doubleheader, losing 10-4.

In the second game, the Scots again found themselves in a nail biter. The third inning proved fatal to the Scots as IC scored two runs on two hits and an error. Sophomore third baseman Jessica Travis’ error allowed IC’s Cooper to reach first. The error also allowed IC’s Libbra to score an unearned run. Cooper then came around to score on another IC single.

In their last series of the year, the Scots welcomed Grinnell College to the MC campus. The Scots’ pitching and defense struggled in the fourth inning as they saw Grinnell score three of their five runs. The Scots committed two errors in the inning and all of the runs were unearned.

In the sixth inning, the Scots surrendered another two runs. During the inning Grinnell had two hits and two walks. The damage could have been a lot worse as Scots’ relief pitcher and sophomore Blayre Scott worked her way out of a bases loaded jam.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Scots gave Boonstra the ball. Boonstra had a rough outing, surrendering six runs in five and a third innings. Another freshman, Jessica Serritella, came in to relieve the struggling starter, pitching a scoreless two thirds of an inning and allowing one hit.

Despite the Scots’ struggles in their last 10 games, they can be proud of the achievements they had throughout the season. The Scots, who finished with a record of 13-20, nearly doubled the number of wins from the 2005 season. Last year the Scots finished 7-24.

Head Coach Kari Shimmin, in her second year, has done a tremendous job as she slowly turned around the softball program. Shimmin has compiled a youthful team that is dominated by freshman leaders.

Christensen and Boonstra headline a pitching staff that should lead the Scots to more victories as they mature and become more polished pitchers. The Scots will also look for a new batch of recruits to continue this new youth movement.