Winners of its last eight regular season games, including six straight conference victories, the Clark University softball team (17-18, 10-6 NEWMAC) pulled off an incredible mid-season comeback.
After facing a strong spring week schedule that included four eventual NCAA Tournament teams – three that ended the year nationally ranked – the Cougars returned north with just two wins. Back in New England, however, Clark captured impressive wins over NCAA Tournament participant Bridgewater State College (4-3) and ECAC Tournament contender Brandeis University (1-0) before heading into the conference line-up. The Cougars then vaulted to third in the NEWMAC with sweeps over eventual conference champions Springfield College, WPI and Wheaton College.
After a NEWMAC Tournament opening round win over sixth-seeded WPI (5-3), the third-seed Cougars were eliminated with losses to second-seed Wellesley College (8-0) and fifth-seed Babson College (5-2).
Individual highlights included junior Lauren Blake’s (.393 BA) third straight All-Conference nod. The star second baseman earned first-team recognition and was also an NFCA Division III All-New England first-team at-large pick.
Coming off a spring that saw them claim their first 20-win season since 2002 and seventh in the last 13 years and earn a 10th place ranking in the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) poll, the 2009 Clark University softball team will look to improve on last year’s accomplishments. Head coach Linda Wage knows just one word that will determine how far the Cougars will go this spring – Consistency.
“We’re not looking to simply ‘pass’ this season,” said Wage, who begins her 21st season at the helm of Clark’s softball program. “We are looking to be a better team, a more consistent team. We’re going to have to be strong defensively; we’re going to have to hit our spots when we’re pitching; and we’re going to have to get timely hitting. Teams that do that put themselves in a position to win championships.”
While the departure of a pair of key players from last year’s 21-12 (4th/10-6 NEWMAC) team, including Julie Parnell and 2008 NCAA Division III RBI Champion Heather Warren, leaves vacancies in the line-up, the Cougars return a mitt full of experience with six starters back.
“Julie and Heather were great leaders and high level players,” Wage said. “Even though we didn’t lose quantity, we lost a lot of quality and experience and people who could get it done. Our junior class learned a lot from those two.”
Coming off a sensational sophomore campaign, tri-captain Lauren Blake (.474 BA, 13 RBA) returns for her third season as Clark’s starting second baseman. Blake, a first-team All-NEWMAC, All-NEISCA and All-National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) pick, will continue as the team’s leadoff hitter after topping the league in batting and on-base percentage (.523) last year. Juniors Joanna Clark (.277 BA, 2 HR, 16 RBI), Chelsea Proulx (.303 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI) and captain Melissa Traft (.318 BA, 1 HR, 24 RBI) will also figure prominently in Coach Wages infield plans. A quick and solid defender, Clark will move from first to third this season, while Proulx, who emerged at the plate late last spring, is expected to move up in the order and replace Warren as the team’s staring shortstop. Traft, a second-team All-NEWMAC player, will anchor the Cougars’ pitching staff and will also see time at first base. Rookie Rita Sullivan, a strong hitter out of Worcester Academy, will back her up.
Leading the list of returning outfielders is power-hitter and captain Darcy Kurashige-Elliott (.316 BA, 8 HR, 27 RBI), who will start in center and platoon with freshman pitcher/outfielder Meg Lennon, a Southern Worcester County League All-Star from Shepherd Hill High, in leftfield. The remaining spot in right is up for grabs. Newcomer Chloe Carden, a junior third base reserve, sophomore Heather Richards and freshmen Stefanie Kettenacker and Maureen Coakley are in the mix.
With last year’s catcher Julie Murray not returning this season, Coach Wage will look to freshman Erin Murphy, who came to Clark as a shortstop, to get the job done. Sophomore Kate Tutela (.248 BA, 2HR, 14 RBI) will serve as a valuable back-up, fill the role of designated player, and will also be worked out at first base.
The Cougars return a dominant duo on the mound with Traft (10-6, 2.93 ERA) back as the ace of the staff and sophomore Sarah Carter, who tossed the program’s first-ever perfect game last spring, expected to put in more quality innings this season. Lennon will also be counted upon to pitch in and make an immediate impact in the circle.
Although last year’s team set a new Clark record for homeruns in a season (26), Coach Wage is concerned about her team’s hitting. “One of the goals is to cut down on the number of strikeouts from last year,” she said. “We want to put the ball in play and make opposing defenses get us out.”
No different this year will be a usually tough NEWMAC slate, mixed in with a nonconference schedule that will test the best in New England. While winning a championship is the ultimate goal, Coach Wage and crew have set out to respect each opponent, earn each victory and not take anything for granted.
“Our goals for this season is to chip away, take one inning at a time, keep it simple and not look ahead of ourselves,” she said. “But we definitely know that consistency is going to be the determining factor of what we are going to be able to accomplish day in and day out.”