BY JEFF FALK
PALMYRA – The Palmyra softball program owns a black flag with a big ‘W’ on it. The Cougars raise it on game days, after they have enjoyed success on the diamond.
Palmyra also owns an orange flag with a big ‘L’ on it. The Cougars fly it after games when it is apparent that they have some work to do.
They don’t own a white flag.
On a warm Tuesday after school, a fledgling Palmyra outfit continued to experience some growing pains, but not without a lot of courage and fight. The Cougars were blanked by a seasoned Mechanicsburg club and wily right-hander Erica Smiley, 8-0.
While Palmyra was experiencing difficulties squaring Smiley up, Mechanicsburg was scoring in each of its last five at-bats.
The shutout was the third straight suffered by the Cougars, now 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the Keystone Division of the Mid-Penn Conference. Palmyra has been outscored by a total of 22 runs in those three contests, although by some pretty good teams.
The result pushed Mechanicsburg to 5-1 on the spring and 3-1 in the division.
“There are some culture issues,” said Palmyra’s second-year head coach Tod Whtiman, who had 31 girls come out for the sport this season, compared to 17 in 2016. “A lot of these girls were with us last year. But the culture I’m putting in place is different. The kids want to play. They want to be a part of the program. I want them to take ownership of this loss. Not because they enjoy losing, but because they’ve got each other’s backs.
“It’s early in the season and I want to make sure these girls recognize that,” continued Whitman. “I’m not sure where their heads are. Before the game, they were completely confident they could win it. I want them to practice on purpose, and stuff will work out. It’s a grind when things don’t go well and it’s fun when things do go well.”
It was a dead-even game until the Wildcats came to bat in the top of the third inning. Mechanicsburg pushed across two runs, after Cougar starter Abbey Krahling had retired the first two hitters she faced.
A Palmyra error played a key role in the rally, as Rachel Deveney’s two-run single gave the Wildcats a 2-0 edge.
“She is hugely improved over last year,” said Whitman of his sophomore chucker. “She has more speed on her ball. And her location is better. She needs to build some endurance. But she’s getting much better with her mental toughness. She’s taking on a leadership role on this team.
“It’s our schedule,” Whitman continued. “Unfortunately, we just played three really good teams. We could easily get back to 4-4 and get back to where we want to be. We need to beat the people we’re supposed to beat and split with some of the tougher teams. These kids work their butts off in practice. There is a process of confidence. But they need to do it in games so it improves their confidence.”
Smiley had the Cougars guessing and off balance all evening long.
She allowed just one hit – Molly Nelson’s single leading off the bottom of the third – and faced just two hitters over the minimum. Smiley whiffed eight and walked just one.
Palmyra didn’t advance a runner past second base, as the Wildcats executed flawless defense behind her.
“Erica Smiley is one of the better pitchers in this conference,” said Whitman. “She doesn’t hurt herself. She’s got good placement on her ball. It was hard to hit her outside pitch. She doesn’t get rattled. That’s what makes her a great pitcher, that mental toughness. She’s a bulldog. She wants to win. You want that type of kid in the circle.
“They’re (his players) thinking through it (hitting slump),” added Whitman. “They’re communicating. They’re talking about it. They’re very smart players. It’s just the execution. It’s going about it, and we couldn’t solve it. But they’re approaching it the right way. I want our kids to solve it. I don’t want them up there with me telling them what to do. Early in the game we were swinging at balls that weren’t strikes. But their minds are right.”
The Cougars’ struggles at the dish may have eventually spilled onto the field.
The Wildcats made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth, thanks to a two-out, unearned run. Then Mechanicsburg pushed its margin to 5-0 with Smiley’s two-run single in the fifth.
“I don’t want them to assume what’s about to happen,” said Whitman of his troops. “Given the fact we got trounced by Shippensburg (on Saturday), I didn’t want it to carry over. We’ve got some improvements to make. The mentality when we get down by two runs, we’ve got to do our jobs and bounce back. They aren’t giving up six-run innings. It’s two-run innings. It’s about mental strength. These girls are more experienced. They’re more mature.”
Mechanicsburg strung together three straight hits to open the top of the sixth inning, and extended its lead to 6-0. The Wildcats tallied their final two runs in the seventh, on a hit-batsmen, two errors and two safeties.
The Wildcats banged out a total of 13 hits.
“They’re (his players) frustrated with their hitting,” said Whitman. “That’s three games in-a-row where we haven’t scored a run. Hitting is confidence. It’s (softball) a failure game, and how you respond will build your confidence. Defensively, we made some errors. We made some good plays as well. We talk about game situations.
“I’m happy (with the approach at the plate),” added Whitman. “I think it’s the right thing. It’s a slower process, but it’s longer lasting. If you’ve got the right mentality you’ll begin to understand the process about how the pitcher is trying to pitch and how to approach it.”
To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to https://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/photo-gallery/.
2017 Palmyra Softball Schedule
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME |
OUTCOME |
|
|
| 03/24 |
Big Spring
|
4:15 PM |
L 2-4 |
|
|
| 03/30 * |
Bishop McDevitt
|
4:15 PM |
W 5-0 |
|
|
| 04/03 * |
@Susquehanna Twp.
|
4:15 PM |
W 7-1 |
|
|
| 04/05 * |
@Lower Dauphin
|
4:15 PM |
L 0-8 |
|
|
| 04/08 |
Shippensburg
|
12:00 PM |
L 0-15 |
|
|
| 04/11 * |
Mechanicsburg
|
4:15 PM |
L 0-8 |
|
|
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME |
LOCATION |
|
| 04/13 * |
CD East
|
4:15 PM |
Palmyra High School |
|
| 04/18 * |
@Harrisburg
|
4:15 PM |
Harrisburg High School |
|
| 04/20 * |
@Hershey
|
4:15 PM |
Hershey High School |
|
| 04/20 * |
@Hershey
|
7:00 PM |
Hershey High School |
|
| 04/22 |
@Muhlenberg
|
7:00 PM |
Muhlenberg High School |
|
| 04/25 * |
@Bishop McDevitt
|
4:15 PM |
Bishop McDevitt High School |
|
| 04/27 * |
Susquehanna Twp.
|
4:15 PM |
Palmyra High School |
|
| 05/02 * |
Lower Dauphin
|
4:15 PM |
Palmyra High School |
|
| 05/04 * |
@Mechanicsburg
|
4:15 PM |
Mechanicsburg High School |
|
| 05/08 |
@Middletown
|
4:15 PM |
Middletown High School |
|
| 05/09 * |
@CD East
|
4:15 PM |
CD East High School |
|
| 05/11 * |
Harrisburg
|
4:15 PM |
Palmyra High School |
|
| 05/15 * |
Hershey
|
4:30 PM |
Palmyra High School |
|
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