PDS encouraged in spite of 4-0 loss to Raiders
By: Justin Feil
Even after coming off a 17-3 season and returning all but two starters, Hun softball coach Kathy Quirk still found plenty to worry about going into her team’s season opener against Princeton Day School on Wednesday.
There was the overconfidence coming off such a strong season that she hoped had been dulled in the preseason. There was concern about the two new starters both freshman and how they would hold up in the high-pressure positions of catcher and third base. There was the hitting that had not exactly lit up Florida on their spring trip.
And completely unexpected there was the Raider defense, always a staple of good Hun teams in the past, but all of a sudden completely gone in the pre-game warm-ups.
"Our warm-ups were horrendous," said Quirk, who is beginning her 26th season at the Raiders’ helm. "I was wondering if this was an omen. But we pulled it together."
Hun played flawless defense, got solid play from its newcomers and came out hitting the ball hard in a 4-0 win over an improved PDS squad.
"I thought we played great defense," said Quirk, whose 1-0 squad hosts Peddie 4 p.m. today. "Even though (pitcher Christine) Czarnecki struck out nine, we moved well to the ball when they were hit. We did what we were supposed to do."
Czarnecki, who had a no-hitter against PDS last season, gave up just one hit thanks to solid defense. A sure second Panther hit was taken away by a rare center field-to-first assist by center fielder Natalie Grossman on a clean base hit up the middle. First-year catcher Emily Rosenthal threw out two would-be base-stealers.
"She hasn’t caught a lot so she has stuff to learn, but I thought she did a nice job for us," Quirk said of the freshman, who along with Jill Fonseca, is the only freshman starting. "She knows enough about the game to fit in there."
Hun got all the runs Czarnecki would need on a nifty fake bunt by Mimi Drozd that she pulled back and drilled up the middle to score Grossman in the first inning.
"I thought our bats came out real strong," said the junior shortstop. "Our defense is known to be solid. Throughout the whole season last year, we had good defense. This year, we’re starting off the same way. There aren’t many changes on defense.
"I think it was really important to prove ourselves and to start off the season well," she added. "Our coaches were worried coming into it. Mrs. Quirk was nervous. A win always starts a season off well. And the first one on the board is a win."
The 4-0 decision dropped PDS to 1-1 on the season. The Panthers came off a convincing 15-2 win over George on Tuesday in which Lisa Laudenberger struck out 13 batters. Last season, the Panthers had difficulty in adjusting to a much stronger team in Hun, but they made a quicker adjustment this season.
"Losing, 4-0, to Hun is a good start for us," said PDS head coach Trese Lang. "I thought Lisa did a good job. I thought our defense held them. I always think Hun is a quality team. They always seem to have quality players. We had a good game. We came out well from start to end. When we play them again, it should be fun."
The next possible chance for a Hun-PDS matchup would be the Mercer County Tournament, and then the Prep A state tournament. Both are far in the distance.
"The main thing for us is to not start off the season too cocky or be overconfident," said Drozd, a Yardley, Pa. resident. "We have to take it one step at a time and not look ahead to the state championship or the Mercer Counties. We knew PDS is not as good of a team as we are. Everyone was confident. Coming out with the first run in the first inning started off the game perfectly. Our confidence was up right from the start."
That run was manufactured in typical Hun fashion. After Grossman singled to reach first, she stole second and Alana Fares laid down a bunt to move her to third before Drozd faked a bunt and smacked a single to a 1-0 lead.
"We executed some things we’ve been working on," Quirk said. "We executed some bunts well. That fake the bunt and swing away is something new we’ve been working on. She did a nice job with that.
"Mimi has been at short since she was a freshman. She’s very solid in the field and with the bat."
PDS had a couple chances when runners reached base, but each time the Raiders came up with the plays in the field or Czarnecki did the work herself, as she did in striking out the final two batters of the game with two Panther runners on base. But Lang hopes that her young team can build off its solid effort and its hitting performance the day before.
"We only have three seniors and right now we have some injuries," she said. "I think once we get healthy and start to get together, it’ll be a fun season."
And Quirk is hoping that Wednesday’s win propels the Raiders toward the same sort of fun season, one where the winning continues to the very end.
"It’s nice to win just to build up your own confidence and self esteem," Quirk said. "It’s nice to get a first win under your belt."
For one thing, it helps to settle any pre-season jitters and calm the nerves of veteran coaches.