Madison Hudson
Staff Writer
The Leopards faced the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens for a Saturday doubleheader at Campus West, but were unable to pull off a win for either game, losing 14-3 in game one and 7-1 in game two.
“Overall, as a team, we think the games could have gone better. We know we are a better team than what we showed on Saturday and will bounce back next week,” sophomore infielder Erica Garcia said. “Hitting a double off the fence during the second game was a highlight for me, and the team’s biggest accomplishment was staying united and keeping positive attitudes during the game.”
Junior outfielder Haylee Hseih said she felt confident about her defensive performance and about making plays at critical moments. On offense, Hseih said she felt that she had a good approach at the plate, but the execution could have been better. She said she wanted to steal more bases to help score.
“Scoring during both games and making crucial catches and playing in the outfield was a huge emphasis for my performance,” Hseih said. “In the outfield, we have been focusing on our lateral movements and tracking down balls in gaps have really helped me during this series as well as focusing on our mental game has helped grow our mindsets in practices and for games.”
Senior pitcher Rachel Rubio took these games as something the team could learn from. Although Rubio thought they were moving as cohesively and smoothly as they typically do, it prepared her for what is to come.
“The highlight for me these games was experiencing my team mentally in it the whole time,” Rubio said. “Although the result may not reflect that, my team was able to be completely mentally bought into the games and not lose sight of what we were attempting to accomplish. I’ve been practicing just flipping a switch and turning on my mindset, ‘OK, we are getting this one, let’s go and do whatever I can to get the next out’.”
Junior pitcher Jocelyn Robertson said she noticed how much the team struggled to pull themselves out of their slump. Being able to lean on one another and continuing to cheer each other on throughout the series was an important key to keeping up their energy, she said.
“Our energy feeds off the dugout when we are on the field, so it’s important that we stay up and cheer on our teammates,” Robertson said. “We started off really strong and loud, but once we make a mistake or the other team gets ahead, our energy tends to drop, or we get down on ourselves. I know we were facing a good hitting team, and I really focused on my technique and mechanics. I think I did a good job of coming back and striking out other players.”
The Leopards are currently 12-8 overall and 2-3 in Southern California Intercollegiate Conference play.
Next up for the team is a doubleheader against Williams at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday at Campus West.
Madison Hudson can be reached at madison.hudson@laverne.edu.
Madison Hudson is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Sheridan Lambrook
Sheridan Lambrook, a senior journalism major with a concentration in visual journalism, is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
