The University of Rhode Island softball team traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to participate in the Lowcountry Classic this weekend.
After having their previous tournament from Feb. 14-16 canceled due to weather issues, the Rams were finally able to start their season. The team played five games over the weekend, in which they finished with a record of 1-4.
The lone win took place on Friday against the College of Charleston, with a final score of 12-4. The scoring outburst was powered by third-years Casey Miller and Mandi Hanewich, who combined for six hits and four runs scored. Fourth-year Noelle Sterner also had three hits, one of which was a double, as well as posting two RBIs. Pitching was a strong point as well, with third-year starter Ashley Hibbard earning the win and first-year pitcher Brooke Gerry posting a three-inning save.
With the Rams start of the season being delayed, the team was happy to finally get out on the field, according to Rhode Island Head Coach Mike Coutts. This was Coutts’ first tournament as head coach of the Rams.
“The kids were excited to get playing; the weather was good, you’re not inside, you’re finally on grass and dirt competing,” Coutts said.
The team’s losses came against Ohio University, Charleston and twice against Dartmouth College. One positive from the losses was the debut of second-year transfer Sarah Trosin, who pitched 2.2 scoreless innings.
“[Trosin’s] previous school she was at wasn’t a really positive experience for her, and she’s come in and worked really hard,” Coutts said. “We talked after the game on how sometimes you have to persevere through some really hard times before you get to the success that you want, so I was really happy for her because you could tell she was excited to go out and finally perform.”
Not only did Trosin pitch well, Hibbard and fourth-year Katie Zaun brought more positives on the pitcher’s mound in the losses.
“We believe when they go out and pitch that we’re going to have a chance to win,” Coutts said.
Despite a losing record on the weekend, Coutts was very pleased with what he saw from the team.
“Our effort was really good, the attitude was awesome, they played really hard,” Coutts said. “I don’t really have any complaints about anything.”
Having practiced only inside up until this point, playing outside brought challenges to the team, but it is something that will be worked on as the weather warms up, according to Coutts.
“There was some stuff that we made mistakes on purely because we weren’t able to practice certain things because we hadn’t been outside, and we were only practicing in the field house,” Coutts said.
Heading into the weekend, the Rams’ coaching staff was focused on making sure the players were prepared for their opening games.
“The coaches really focused on making sure the girls and I were feeling well going into the weekend,” Miller said. “I think that really prepared the team and I to perform really well in the second game on Friday, specifically, and overall.”
With another five-game weekend approaching, the Rams will look to build off what they learned about themselves throughout the season-opening tournament.
“Overall, it wasn’t the best weekend record wise, but we learned a lot of things about our team and what works for us,” Miller said. “We learned what we need to work on as a team, and we were able to see how our new coaching staff fit with the players. You could see just being on the field how relaxed everybody was and making sure that we were all having fun.”
Looking forward, Coutts set the stage for what the team is focusing on.
“More than anything, it looks like we’re going to be able to get outside on Wednesday and work on some flyball communication, and be able to talk and hear each other when balls are hitting the air,” Coutts said. “I think the other thing is just getting back into the rhythm of the season and cleaning a few things up.”
The Rams will be back in action this weekend at the Catamount Classic in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The tournament begins on Friday and finishes on Sunday.
