The Observer, March 7, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 20
Spartans open season with 2-2 weekend split
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College is all about trying new things, right?
Playing on grass and dirt for the first time this year at the Centre College Tournament in Danville, Ky., the softball team used the opportunity to give Chelsae Poelking, Ruth Sagartz, and Katie Svilar playing time in new roles. The Spartans left the tournament with some wrinkles ironed out and a 2-2 record.
Case faced DePauw on Saturday for the first game of the tournament. The Tigers, who were ranked eighth in the country in a preseason poll, won the game, 9-1. The game was tied at one until the fourth inning, when Emma Miax's RBI triple and Chelsy Patterson's RBI single gave the Tigers the lead. The Tigers tacked on two more in the fifth and erupted for a four-run sixth inning keyed by two Spartan errors.
"We stayed with them for the first three innings. Then they started to hit ball," said coach Jennie Amodio.
The Spartans salvaged a split for the day, beating Wilmington College 2-1. Freshman lefthander Theodora Jacobson won her first collegiate game against Wilmington, striking out five in six innings of work. Junior Ruth Sagartz picked up the save. Closing is unusual for Sagartz, who normally starts. She gave up a single and struck out a batter. "We wanted to try different things and see what everyone could do," said Amodio.
Case again split its two games on Sunday. Game one was an 8-0 loss to Maryville University. The Spartans managed only two hits: a Lauren Seeds double to start the game and a single by Svilar in the third. In the bottom half of that inning, Maryville would blow the game wide open. After getting a pop-up to start the bottom of the third, Sagartz walked Maryville first baseman Katie Brockmeyer. Brockmeyer scored on an error by third baseman Svilar, who played in the outfield last year.
"It's going to take a minute for us to figure out what we can and what we can't do," said Amodio.
The Spartans won game two against Oberlin, 8-0. Jacobson got her second win of the weekend, giving up only three hits to the Yeomen. She also went three-for-three at the plate and knocked in four runs. Poelking went one-for-two with three runs scored in the victory.
Poelking, a sophomore, was one of the weekend's successful experiments. She spent two games behind the plate, the first two games she's played as a catcher. "[Poelking] is the best athlete on the team," said Amodio. "She's a strong leader and she has a strong arm." Poelking will primarily be catching Sagartz, while freshman Mary Kruszka will catch Jacobson. The Spartans graduated two catchers last year.
While Poelking impressed defensively, freshman Anneliese Fetterman impressed offensively. "We've been working hard for her to quicken her swing. She hit the ball hard," said Amodio. Fetterman will be hitting cleanup this year.
Amodio felt that her players did a nice job of accepting different roles, but didn't generalize beyond that. "I'm not making too many judgments about how this season is going to go from this weekend," said Amodio.
The Spartans will be back in action tomorrow against Northwestern College.
