Senior outfielder Maddie Edmonston bunts at bat in the game against University of Nebraska Omaha. The Lady Lions secure a win 4-1. Sarah Hess/The Lion's Roar
The Lady Lions softball team has started their spring season by winning the Lion Classic II, bringing them to a 7-1 overall record.
The tournament was hosted on home turf at North Oak Park, which featured Belmont University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Nebraska Omaha and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The first game on Friday, Feb. 16 against Omaha saw the Lady Lions win 4-1 against the number one seed in the conference.
Head Coach Rick Fremin stated his goal for the team this season.
“Our goal is to stay aggressive to dominate our opponent, regardless of who we play,” said Fremin. “To compete for a conference championship as well as the conference tournament championship also.”
Last season, one of Fremin’s goals for the program was better running and base steals for his players. Fremin discussed the improvements he has seen between the two seasons.
“I think their endurance is there, so I think we’re stealing about roughly an average of four stolen bases a game, if I’m not mistaken,” said Fremin. “I haven’t looked at the stats as of today. The speed aspect of it is there. So I’m pleased with where we’re at right now.”
The next opponent for the team in the tournament was Texas A&M-Corpus Christi where they won with a shutout of 6-0. Last year’s recruit, freshman catcher Ella Manzer described her excitement of being a starter during the Lion Classic II.
“I initially thought I would get to play a little, but to my surprise, I got to start multiple games this weekend,” said Manzer. “I threw out two girls, and it felt really good to know I can play with my amazing teammates.”
Belmont, the opponent on Saturday, Feb. 17, put up a fight with a close game of 6-5. Fremin credited the team’s ability to adjust to the program quickly as a factor to their efficient success.
“I’m going into year three,” said Fremin. “So the players are very comfortable with the system and the things we’re asking them to do. We also had brought in quite a few transfers along with some incoming freshmen. So a lot of those players have adapted very quickly. It has led to some early success just with everyone being on the same page. I’m pleased with where we are now as a ball club.”
The Lady Lions faced off against Omaha for the second time but ended up losing this time around on Saturday, Feb. 17 by 11-9. Senior infielder Mahalia Gibson expressed her thoughts on her team’s performance against Omaha on the third day of the Lion Classic II.
“They played with a lot of heart,” said Gibson. “We all agreed that’s something we can take from them and build off of for the rest of the season. Yes, the loss hurt, but the game has no knowledge of what happens, so we learn from it and move on.”
The team’s final opponent of the tournament, Detroit, was another close game of 2-1. Fremin explained his thoughts on the final day of the conference.
“I thought we did what we had to do to win,” said Fremin. “Rachel Hayes, on her birthday, hit a circle, did a phenomenal job with throwing a two-hitter. We let a few people on base. That would be the only downfall from our offense standpoint, but we played great defense. We turned several double plays to get out of the inning, and I was very pleased with the overall performance, especially after a tough hard loss late last night at the nightcap game. So, a good start to our season at 7-1, especially because it’s never been done before in the program’s history, and we’ll just take it one gamer at a time.”
Fremin discussed the team’s next competition that is fast approaching.
“We have a short turnaround,” said Fremin. “We have a day rest then we’re on a bus to go play. They are an extremely tough road opponent, and then we’re gonna play UL tournament Thursday night. We’re playing UL, and they always have a great atmosphere. 2,000 people will be in the stands. Players will get to experience that, and then that will continue with games on Friday and Saturday.”