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Ursuline Softball Season Outlook: Rebuilt and Retooled

February 25, 2010

PEPPER PIKE, OHIO - The Arrows Softball Team enters the 2009-10 season with a solid balance of youth and experience. Guided by the team?s lone senior, Hillary Beachy, the Blue and Gold feature five sophomores and seven freshmen on a roster of 15. Coming off last year?s disappointing season, the Arrows are looking to regain the success they had a couple years ago when they made an appearance in the American Mideast Conference playoffs.

What will it take for the Arrows to get back into contention? Well it starts with Beachy anchoring the team?s lineup, while the pitching staff must step up inning after inning. One thing that can be counted on is that Beachy will be a consistent leader on and off the field, as she has been since her arrival at Ursuline.

?Hillary is in the best shape she has been in since coming to Ursuline,? said Head Coach Sue Woodford. ?She has taken leadership of the team and worked hard to prepare for the season.?

In her three seasons, Beachy has totaled a batting average of .359 (92-256), with 31 extra-base hits. Defensively, she boasts a .978 fielding percentage, totaling an impressive 604 putouts and 48 assists, with only 13 errors. The two-time All-Conference First Team selection, put up her career-best numbers last season in hits (35), runs scored (15), walks (11), total bases (48), putouts (240) and assists (26). Off the field, Beachy found equal success, being named an Academic All-American for the third time (NFCA/NAIA).

Offensively, the Arrows won?t rely on Beachy alone, there is a group of talented young athletes that are looking to step up and help. Kristen Roznoski, who will hit lead-off, Ciara Seymour, Liz Maher, Lauren Grana and Britney Mascia will create a solid order from top to bottom that features a good balance of power and speed.

In the fall season, Coach Woodford was able to get a good look at the players she had and the type of team she was going to field game-to-game. Seymour, who will play third base from time-to-time, will enter the season as the team?s number one pitcher. She has a variety of pitches and can throw the ball with some speed.

?Ciara has a very competitive attitude on the mound and will challenge a lot of hitters with both speed and movement on her pitches,? said Woodford. Maher will share the pitching duties with Seymour.

?This fall we learned that we have a team with great defensive range, which is our biggest improvement from last season,? said Woodford. ?Overall the quality of play is getting better and this young group of players has the program going in the right direction.?

The goals are high, but very realistic for this season. Ursuline has a challenging schedule this spring, with a balance of top NAIA teams and competitive NCAA Division III programs. The schedule will help this young team grow and gain experience against some top talent.

?We have a group that will play hard and has the talent to succeed,? said Woodford. ?It will be fun to watch them grow as individuals, and come together as a team.?

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