No Ivy 'W's for '98 Penn Softball

But senior Jen Stawley earned Honor Roll in her final weekend. Put a fork in them – they're done. The Penn softball season started with a new coach, a lot of questions and a great deal of hope. It mercifully came to an end Sunday with the team hitting rock bottom -- 12 consecutive losses to complete a winless Ivy League season in which they were outscored 82-9. Ouch. The only graduating senior on the team, tri-captain Jen Strawley, provided some perspective after a disappointing season. "We've been losing for so long, I think it's a process to turn things around," Strawley said. "We did take steps this season to change that. The main thing that's missing is a sense of pride. I don't know that our record is completely indicative of everything." On Saturday, the Quakers (10-29, 0-12 Ivy League) faced a Harvard team they hoped would be looking ahead to Sunday's doubleheader with Cornell that would decide the Ivy League title. But if they were looking ahead, it wasn't enough to make a difference. The Crimson (27-20, 10-0) swept the Quakers 5-0 and 2-0, holding Penn to five total hits in the two games. As usual, the Quakers got strong efforts from their pitching staff, but not strong enough to overcome their hitting difficulties. Freshman Lee Pepe gave up five runs in the first game, and sophomore Suzanne Arbogast held the potent Crimson offense to only two runs in the second game. This left the Quakers desperate for a win and with only two chances to get one as they entered the following day's doubleheader against Dartmouth (10-24-1, 3-7). It seemed like their best opportunity yet, with the Big Green coming to town with only one more Ivy win than the Quakers. In addition, Penn had split their doubleheader with Dartmouth last year. But it was not meant to be, and Penn fell 9-4 and 11-1. The game was especially important to Strawley, as she was playing her last games in a Quakers' uniform. "It was definitely a very strange feeling," Strawley said. "In the beginning, I wasn't really thinking much about it, but in the end I was upset by it." Strawley exploded for three hits, one run scored and two RBIs in the opener as Penn scored four runs, doubling their output for the Ivy League season. With Penn's hitting finally performing in Ivy League action, the pitching fell apart. Pepe gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings, and the Big Green went ahead 7-1 before the Red and Blue's offensive explosion of three runs in the final three innings. This game was representative of the entire season, as the Quakers never really figured out how to hit, pitch and field well at the same time. The second game marked an unfortunate end to a strong sophomore season by Arbogast, as she gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings. Pepe shut down the Big Green in the third and retired them in order in the fourth and fifth. But she too ended the season on a low note, getting shelled for seven runs in the final two innings. But the pitching woes were really not an issue, as the two Dartmouth runs in the first inning were all they would need. Strawley went 1-for-3, and her 4-for-7 performance for the day earned her a place on the Ivy League Honor Roll to end her collegiate career. Although Strawley ended her career on a personal high note, the Quakers ended their season with little to smile about. Pitching has been their strongpoint, but it was never strong enough to carry the team. With Arbogast, Pepe and sophomore Joy Silverns all returning, however, the staff should continue to improve. Hitting is another story altogether. The offense started the season slow despite an outstanding start by freshman Vicky Frondozo. Penn seemed to be improving, with 13 runs in their last two games in Florida. The resurgence, however, was short-lived, and the offense struggled throughout the season. Part of the problem was junior shortstop Sherryl Fodera, who fell far short of last season's numbers. She was expected to lead the offense after being unanimously selected First-Team All-Ivy League. But she did not finish anywhere near the .425 batting average that led the Ivies a year ago, finishing just above .230 at the plate. "I don't believe anything that happened this year was any fault of the coaching," Strawley said. "Statistically nobody had a good year. We didn't have anyone hit over .300." The future of the program hinges on the recruiting success of coach Carol Kashow and the expected improvement of a squad that will only lose one player. But Kashow should have a lot of trouble attracting players to a program that continues to struggle.

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