Despite lack of field, Lady Cavs target PAC

by Shanna Fanelli assistant features editors

The fire of revenge is ablaze in the women's softball team, and they're burning with anticipation for the upcoming Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship. After hitting into second place ]ast year, the women are eager and ready to make themselves No. l.

'·We will definitely win the PAC," said sophomore Meghan Merkel.

The team is perfecting their skills and preparing for the big day.

Fast will become faster and strong will become stronger.

There is the determination and talent that goes along with a team that succeeds in a sport they love.

Optimism is high and the women are playing hard.

Because softball is not a sport that qualifies for an automatic bid, which lets the team pass on to the next level after a win, the women realize their choices are few.

"We have to work harder to be nationally ranked," said Merkel.

Hard work and giving your all in practice is not a problem for the Lady Cavaliers. Unfortunately, finding a place to practice proves to be the ultimate challenge.

"We don't have a field," said junior Michelle Gabriel.

The players get shuffled around the area, using the property of other schools and sharing time with other teams in different sports.

And if there's practice going on at one location when they're there? The women have to leave.

"It's a pain," said Merkel.

"Everyone feels the same way," said jy; nior Linda Costello. ''There's nothing we can do about it."

In addition to the inconvenience of nonmapped practice space, there's also the uncertainty of where practice will be held since last minute decisions are made.

The women have to cope with what they are given and hope no one shows up at the wrong time for practice.

"If you're late," said Merkel, "you have to go all over the Main Lin;t"o~find out where practice is."

"We 're angry," said Gabriel.

But this is merely an untimely obstacle facing a team who thrives on challenge. The women work together under coach Bridget Baxter and senior captain Mary Lear.

Their sights are set on defeating their biggest rival, Misericordia, who beat them last year in the PAC finals, but so far have lost to the Lady Cavs in practice games. With fire in their eyes and the hunger for winning, this years women's softball team plans to blaze a trail of glory to the top, showing no mercy all the way.