Team loses two out of the first three games to start the season
By Tom Perkins, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: April 10, 2008
It's a rare occasion that a Belleville softball team will drop two out of three, but that's how the club has started off their season.
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Several explanations could be attributed to last week's split double header with New Boston Huron and a one hit, 1-0 loss at Monroe on Monday, but, ultimately, manager Peg Curtis said every girl and every coach needs to improve their performances.
"We're now 1-2 and we're all pretty disappointed with ourselves," Curtis said. "We're not hitting and that's something I thought we would do better with. We certainly have the talent and ability to turn it around."
Monday's loss against rival Monroe saw 12 Tiger batters go down striking out, and it was an extra inning error that gave the Trojans the win.
With a runner rounding third on a long hit to centerfield, Casey Porzondek mad a perfect throw but the tag was missed and the runner scored.
The only Tiger hit was an eighth inning, one out triple by Ashley Mayer. Wendi Morton followed up with a bunt, but it went straight to the pitcher and both Tigers were sent to the bench.
"We had a couple opportunities but they didn't go our way," Curtis said. "Wendi did what she had to do, which was bunt, and the runner did what she had to do which was run, it just didn't work out that time."
The Tigers nearly scored on a similar opportunity in the fourth inning. Simone Millet walked with no outs, stole second and made it to third on a sacrifice fly ball by Sam Cole. The Tigers tried a bunt, but Monroe's catcher faked a throw to first, tagged out Millet, then made the double play on a throw to second base.
Curtis was most alarmed by the lack of opportunities, which she believes is in her girls' heads, not in their hands.
"Monroe's pitcher threw pretty well, but we've got to be able to get the ball in play," she said. "You're not going to win ball games with like that. Some of the kids who she sat down are seasoned ball players."
Cole spent all three games on the mound, and recorded nine strike outs while allowing five hits against Monroe.
The Tigers next square off with Taylor Kennedy and Curtis is expecting her team will pull it together.
"We're all going to work at it. There's nobody on the team who is saying we are where we want to be," she said. "We made our mistake for the year, and now we can't make anymore."
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for the View/Courier. He can be reached at trperkins@gmail.com.
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