Catcher makes no apologies behind the plate

By IAN LAUSA

Published April 20, 2009

Freshman softball player Michelle Pitts has the tendency to apologize for everything, from dropping a softball at practice, to showing up at a teammate’s dorm room unannounced.

“[Pitts] says ‘sorry’ too much,” said sophomore catcher Jessica Pauletto. “We tell her that she doesn’t have to apologize for everything. She is getting better.”

There is no reason for the freshman catcher to apologize for her performance on the softball team this year. Pitts has improved her hitting in her rookie season to become an anchor in the batting order. She leads the team with a batting average of .362, a figure that she raised nearly 100 points in nine games in a span of 11 days after gaining some confidence and working on her pitch selection, she said. She also leads the team in slugging percentage with .493 and is tied with teammate senior outfielder Erin Dudzinski for the most doubles with six a piece.

“[Pitts has] taken a good freshman role,” said head coach Janet Lloyd. “She’s done what she’s supposed to do, followed the rules, and now she can slowly move up in the ranks.”

“Part of the problem [this season] was that people peaked at certain times and we weren’t peaking as a team,” said Pitts. “Combined, no one did extraordinarily well. But that’s easily fixable. It’s just a matter of having confidence in each other.”

This season there has also been an issue of confidence in her own hitting ability, said Pitts.

“[Earlier in the season] I was nervous and I wasn’t hitting well,” she said. “I had to tell myself that I have a team behind me to help me out.”

Coming onto the field as a freshman can be difficult but Pitts has integrated herself into the team well, according to Lloyd.

“A lot of people come into this program and don’t have a chance to play because we have a good team,” said Lloyd. “She worked her way into the starting lineup and has been starting every game.”

Her abilities as a catcher and her hitting prowess have made Pitts a formidable talent on the team, according to freshman infielder Carly Foerster.

“She’s a solid player,” said Foerster. “She’s been consistent throughout the season both behind the plate and at bat.”

That consistency has been welcome in such an inconsistent season, according to Pauletto.

“We can count on her for hits and a lot of RBIs,” said Pauletto. “There isn’t a particular area that she is lacking in. She’s a very well-rounded player.”

The team has helped Pitts balance her schoolwork as a business major with her sport, she said.

“I wanted to play at a school that was competitive [in softball], but I also wanted to be here for academics,” said Pitts. “If I ever need help, I just call up one of [my teammates].”

That closeness between teammates has been an aspect of the game that Pitts has always liked, she said.

“[Success] doesn’t rest on just one person’s shoulders it rests on the entire team’s,” she said

Centre Softball Team Looks to Continue Winning Ways in 2009

2008 Centre College softball team continued the Colonels recent success winning 22 games and making it all the way to the SCAC tournament semi-finals.  In 2009, Centre will look to continue winning ways while working towards a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship.

The 2009 Centre softball team will lack inexperience, with only two seniors and one junior on the roster, but will compensate for the lack of experience with talent.  Associate Head Coach Chris Mason said, “Despite us being a young team, we are extremely excited about the upcoming year.  We might not have a lot of upperclassmen but the freshmen and sophomores on the team are willing and capable of producing an excellent effort on the field.” 
 Freshmen players that the coaching staff feels might have a chance to make a strong impact this year include:  Regina Sena, Elizabeth Fenwick, Catelyn Teague and Cailynn West.  Sena will split time with Rhule behind the plate and likely see some playing time in the outfield as well.  Fenwick will step in at shortstop for the Colonels and look to solidify the infield defense.  Teague will join Jones in the Colonels pitching staff.  West will be asked to provide a strong bat in the middle of the order while playing mostly at first base. 

        
                                  ALEX CHANG-GRAHAM

AMHERST, MA – Amherst College junior Alex Chang-Graham (San Carlos, CA) has been named the NESCAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second time of her career, as she was named this week’s honoree for leading the Lord Jeffs to a pair of victories over Westfield State College.

Amherst’s ace played a vital role in each of Amherst’s wins last week. After picking up a complete-game victory in game one of the Westfield State doubleheader, during which she allowed only two hits in 8.0 innings, Chang-Graham made a stellar relief appearance in the nightcap. With runners on second and third and only one out upon her entrance in the sixth inning, she got out of the jam unharmed and retired all five batters she faced in the game to pick up another win.

Chang-Graham has made an appearance in each of Amherst’s past five games, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.44 earned run average during that time. In her past 20.1 innings pitched she has allowed only one earned run while holding opponents to a .183 batting average, striking out 14 and walking only three.

Chang-Graham’s career-high 11 wins are tied for the second most in the NESCAC, while she leads the conference in innings pitched (87.1) and is second in strikeouts (58). After leading the conference in ERA last season (1.65), she is currently third in the category (1.36) and is fourth in opponents’ batting average (.213).