|
Sports |
|
 |
|
Photo by Brett Stanley/ The Advocate
Freshman pitcher Amanda Livingston bats during the NWAACC Fall Showcase Sept. 26
Saints show their skills in Fall Showcase
The Advocate
The fallball season has started slowly for the MHCC softball team and the team is struggling with some injuries, but Coach Meadow McWhorter still finds reasons to be pleased.
The Saints started the season last weekend in the NWAACC Fall Showcase at Delta Park.
“It was a little different for us this year,” said McWhorter. “Usually we have two weeks before the showcase, but with how the dates fell this week, we only had five days to get prepared.”
Given the lack of preparation, McWhorter said she wasn't surprised by how the Saints played.
“We were a little timid in our first game,” she said. “With the short time period, it was important for us to get the repetition down for us. But with how we started, I would rather start slow and go out with a big bang.”
Even with a timid start, the coach said the Saints still had a good showing from a young pitching staff and overall young team during the first game against Columbia Basin Community College.
“We started only three sophomores in our first game,” said McWhorter.
“It was definitely tough but in that first game our freshman pitcher Chelsea Chriber struck out her first eight of nine batters.”
No results were available because keeping score in games is not allowed in fallball.
The Saints went on to battle against Walla Walla Community College and Bellevue Community College — and McWhorter said she was “very happy” with her team’s performance.
“With a short time to prepare, it was to be expected of our first weekend out. We definitely had a good showing,” she said.
As for the season, McWhorter is hoping for one thing — for her team to stay healthy. “We are definitely hurting with a lot of injuries already,” she said.
As of Thursday, three players are out with injuries. Mia Galusha and Sarah McGregor each have injured legs and are out for an undetermined amount of time. Returning sophomore Ari VanHorn has two cracked vertebrae and will be out until sometime in January.
The Saints next game will be Oct. 10 at Erv Lind Stadium at Portland State University against Concordia and Blue Mountain Community College, followed by Portland State on Oct. 11.
“We just need to stay healthy,” said McWhorter. “Injuries have been occurring more often as technology has advanced in the bats and we just need to get ready and be prepared.”
The Advocate reserves the right to not publish comments based on their appropriateness.