The Collegian

Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Myles Sandrian

After a slow start the Hillsdale College softball team began to bring home some wins and close games, especially after this week.

The team played at home last week and went 1-1 Saturday against Mercyhurst College, 1-1 Sunday against Gannon University but lost both games against Saginaw Valley State University Monday.

Their losses, however, were each by single point: 2-1 against Mercyhurst, 8-7 against Gannon, and 2-1 and 6-5 against Saginaw Valley.

"Every game we lost this weekend was a heartbreaking loss," head coach Jamie Meyers said.

Heartbreaking or not, many players said they have come a long way since the beginning of the season.

"We're getting better," junior Katelin Simon said. "At the beginning of the season, we lost concentration in the fourth inning. Now, we're staying in the sixth and seventh."

Simon said some recent games have been even closer.

"We've even gone into extra innings in a few of them," she said. "We're just not getting out on top."

Simon said she believes, in order to improve, each individual team member needs to focus during games and work on the "little things."

Junior Alyssa Grewcock also emphasized the importance of focus.

"They're just such big games now," Grewcock said. "We have more concentration on the games than anything else."

Grewcock hit her first homerun in the first game against Gannon Saturday.

"It felt good to finally hit one," Grewcock said. "[I came] pretty close a few times this year, it felt good to finally hit it. I knew it was gone off the bat."

Despite personal achievements, Grewcock credits the entire team for its improvements.

"Our errors have decreased a lot, we're meshing really well as a team," Grewcock said.

Junior Dana Gould said the team was well on its way to a better performance.

"I think we just need to keep fighting like we have the past few games," Gould said. "If we keep up the intensity, we'll end up winning rather than losing in the last inning."

The team plays on the road this weekend but will wrap up their season with home games Sunday and Tuesday.

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