Bernell DorroughThe Washington University Bears softball team is on a roll and nothing seems to be able to stop it.
Last weekend the Bears went up against Cornell College and Loras College, sweeping both teams 8-0. On Saturday the Bears defeated Eureka College and Nebraska Wesleyan University, improving their overall record to 16-0.
“Last weekend we knew that we were going to have some good competition and we wanted to come out with some fire and kick some butt,” said senior co-captain Becky Chmielewski.
Nebraska Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning but the Bears rallied back, not allowing the early setback to affect their game. The Bears went on to win the game 8-2.
“We didn’t let anything affect our game,” said junior co-captain Jackie Burgdorf. “I think that we came back because we were concentrating on the game and keeping our focus.”
In their next game against Eureka College, the Bears tallied eight hits and capitalized on their opponent’s five errors to earn a 9-1 win in six innings.
The team had Monday off, but was back on Tuesday with a light practice. Head Coach Cindy Zelinsky commends the players on their ability to hold short, quick practices.
“One thing we’re really good at is being efficient with limited time,” said Zelinsky.
After Tuesday’s practice, the Bears returned to action with a double header against the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point on Wednesday.
Freshman pitcher Laurel Sagartz and sophomore Ashley Johnson combined to throw the first no-hitter in school history in this first game against Wisconsin Stevens-Point.
In game two, the Bears encountered some difficulty as Wisconsin Stevens-Point scored a run early in the first inning.
“The second game was more interesting because they came out to beat us and they took the lead early,” said Kuznick.
“The momentum swung in their direction for a little bit but we came back,” said Chmielewski. “We were challenged in the second game. We had to come from behind which we haven’t had to do this season.”
The Bears did not allow their opponent’s success to continue and they came back in the bottom of the sixth inning to post a 3-2 victory over Wisconsin Stevens-Point.
The athletes had to contend with news reporters who were there to cover the Bears continuation of their winning streak. However, the players maintain that they didn’t allow media attention or other distractions to cause them to lose their focus.
On Valentine’s Day, the team went on a retreat to the Ozarks during which the players participated in team building exercises and the idea of the “circle,” which keeps them focused.
“[On the retreat,] we had this rope circle that everybody held onto, and we had to pull everyone up,” explained Kuznick. “When we got back, the coaches bought us a red and green circle. [The circle] is a tradition now – the point of the circle is, if we really want to be a championship team and make it all the way, we need to not let certain distractions come into our circle; we need to remain a unified team.”
The team keeps the concept of the circle in mind as they gear up for a weekend of challenging competition this Friday and Saturday.
“We don’t focus on our winning streak, and we don’t let our record or statistics come into the circle” said Zelinsky “We keep it pretty tight. There is still a lot of season left and we’re keeping it in perspective because athletic tables can turn pretty fast. When you start to lose focus on [larger goals], things unravel.”
The Bears will play St. Mary’s University at 3 p.m. on Friday, Blackburn and Wartburg Colleges at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectively on Saturday, and Illinois Wesleyan University at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
“This weekend will definitely be our best competition since we’ve been in Florida,” said Chmielewski. “We’re excited. We’re ready to go out there and do our thing – win some ball games!”
Washington University vs. UW -Stevens Point
at St. Louis, MO, March 24, 2004
—————————R—H—E
Washington Univ.—2-0-3-0-3—-8—10—0
UW- Stevens Point–0-0-0-0-0—-0—0—5
Washington University vs. UW- Stevens Point
at St. Louis, MO, March 24, 2004
—————————–R—H—E
Washington Univ.–1-0-0-0-0-1-1—-3—6—2
UW-Stevens Point–1-0-0-0-1-0-0—-2—1—3