Back on the Diamond

The Sacred Heart University women’s softball team opened up their season going 2-3 down in Greenville, S.C. at the Furman Invitational from Feb. 17-19.

After beating Bellarmine University 9-4 in their opening game on Feb. 17 and Binghampton on Feb 18, they fell to Bellarmine in their second game against each other and then to Furman and Towson.

Head coach Pam London, entering her fourth year as head coach, is very confident in her team’s abilities going into the season.

“I am very optimistic and excited for this season,” said London. “We have a great group of talented young ladies who are really good teammates to each other as well. I truly think we are a more solid team than last year.”

Following an underwhelming 2022 season, in which they finished with a record of 13-42, the women are eager to get back on the field and compete again.

London and graduate student outfielder Amy Petrovich credit their upgraded offensive lineup as one of the keys to their success in their wins over Bellarmine and Binghamton.

“This past weekend, we did pretty well with manufacturing runs and banding together as a team when we were down,” said Petrovich. “It was a great learning experience for us that we will definitely be able to grow from as the season goes on!”

Petrovich and junior infielder Jenna Mowad, both captains for the 2023 season, are looking to take their games to the next level this season. Last season, Mowad was awarded second team all Northeast Conference (NEC).

“I think we look pretty good especially for just starting out the season,” said Mowad. “The chemistry and the team atmosphere is amazing and I think that those feelings will take us far. We have talent and drive to win, so I’m super excited to see where the rest of the season takes us.”

However, Mowad does not want to just focus on her personal softball achievements, but rather focus on the team’s goals.

“Most of our goals are correlated to the team goal which is to win and get back to the NEC tournament,” said Mowad.

During the offseason, the women focused on improving one day at a time and competing at a high level as a team. They stressed the importance of good communication and upholding the high standard that they have set for themselves since day one.

“We really emphasized playing together as a team and worked out any kinks we may have,” said Petrovich. “I am super excited to see our hard work hopefully pay off over spring break.”

The team heads back down south to Boiling Springs, N.C. on March 3 for the Runnin’ Bulldog Classic.

“This season isn’t about any new techniques,” said London. “It’s about new mindsets and attitudes. We committed, as a team in the fall, to learning how to handle hard better, because desirable outcomes are not easy to achieve.”

Sacred Heart Athletics and Tyler Ciavarella contributed to this article.

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