Taking to the field last week, the Oriole girls varsity extended their record to 4 - 6 overall, coming away with losses to Thorp (0 - 4), Bloomer (5 -15), and McDonell (0-16). Orioles head coach Andrea Mahr had more to say when the score tally was complete.
“We had some disappointing losses this week,” she said. We know when conference play begins that we need to be putting our best game forward, especially against teams like McDonell and Bloomer.”
Saying that Bloomer started off hitting very strong, Mahr said “we didn’t come to play until later in the game.” Excited to see big hits including a home run by Neveah Walters, Mahr said the Orioles hadn’t been consistent.
“Bloomer’s pitcher was very hittable,” she said. “We just weren’t being patient and our pitch selection was poor.”
Also, a factor Friday against Bloomer was the cold, with temperatures just above freezing at Oriole Park, cancelling the nearby track meet.
“Playing in the cold of Friday night brings another mental element to the game,” Mahr said. “The nice thing about weather is that it is the same for both teams, so it can’t be used as an excuse. It definitely wasn’t fun weather to play in, but one team came to play anyway, and unfortunately, that wasn’t us. I’m glad that game is behind us, and I am ready to reset for a new week of softball that includes putting it all together and playing our game!”
In individual player stats so far this season, Bailey Sikora leads the team with a batting average of .483 average, followed by Ava Prahl at .423. Walters comes next with a batting average of .419.
As for on base percentage, Leana Johnson leads with 1.000, followed by Prahl with .571 and Sikora with .545.
In terms of fielding, Kelly Lew leads with assists this year at 20, followed by Lauren Potacze, at 14 and Aaliyah Allard at 13. Allard leads in double plays at 3 this season, followed by Ella Nitz and Megan Potaczek, each with 1.
As for pitching stats, Nitz has pitched 18 strikeouts while Abby Reynolds has pitched 24.
The Orioles next play against Fall Creek Thursday April 25 at Fall Creek. Game start is 5 p.m.
