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April 27, 2007

Softball

Team faces Sugar Bears

The Lady Mavs need to find their stride to keep the team in first place.

Story by: Sean McNamara

Contributor to The Shorthorn

The Shorthorn: Mykah Wright

Freshman Casey Clifton throws the ball to home during practice on Thursday. Clifton plays first base for the UTA’s softball team.

The Lady Mavericks will travel for the last time in regular season play this weekend as they head to Conway, Ark. to battle the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears.

UTA has stumbled in the past weeks, beginning with an April 18 home loss against Tulsa to end its nine-game win streak. Since then, the team has gone 3-2, with a loss to North Texas on Wednesday and the other to Southland Conference opponent Southeastern Louisiana.

“You hit a peak every season and you don’t want to peak too early,” head coach Debbie Hedrick said. “We were great, now we’re good, we need to get back to great.”

With six games left in the season, the Lady Mavs are looking to sync back up and return to the powerhouse offense that earned the team wins in the midseason.

“We have worked hard all year and been consistent,” Hedrick said. “We need to play on our level, not play to the opposition’s level.”

Left fielder Katie Jones still leads the team with a .448 batting average and a dozen home runs. Since the loss to Tulsa, Jones has only five hits from 18 at bats.

First baseman Dee Jay Nelson, who has a .374 batting average and leads the team with 37 RBIs, is struggling with the same troubles. She has produced a hit just seven times in her last 19 at bats, and four of her last six RBIs came from a grand slam.

“We need to mentally be fired up and ready to play,” Hedrick said. “We will be selective at the plate but aggressive.”

Pitching and defense have to take the field and dominate to keep the offense from having to play catchup, which has proven an uphill battle the past few games. The team has committed six errors in the past six games. Most recently, UTA committed four errors in the 6-3 loss to UNT. Junior pitcher Laura Jones, the team’s only veteran pitcher, has produced some very solid performances in the past few weeks and will be Hedrick’s crutch in tight spots.

“It’s hard when you start feeling tired and your body starts aching,” Jones said. “You have to keep in shape so you can keep your endurance up.”

The squad will have to pay close attention to two Bears players. Catcher Brittany Bearden is batting .301 this season and has 16 RBIs, and shortstop Janae Owens, who has a .278 average, is a major threat with 28 RBIs.

“There is pressure, and you have to be able to step in a tight situation,” Jones said. “We all support each other and that helps.”