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March 6, 2008
CLARION - The Clarion University softball team is ready for the first pitch of the 2008 season Friday when it faces Chowan and UNC-Pembroke at the Patriot Invitational Softball Tournament in Florence, SC. "We are ready for the season," Clarion's second-year head coach Nancy Smoose said. "We are excited to get outside and see the sun and get on the field. Our players have been working very hard since January. They have shown tremendous improvement." Last year, Clarion went 4-26 and 0-20 in the PSAC-West in Smoose first-year, but the long-time Brookville teacher and coach believes the team is ready to take a step forward in 2008. "We may be young," Smoose said. "But we are a much stronger team this year. We have been working hard in the weight room and on our conditioning which will pay off when we get on the field. The leadership of our returning players combined with our outstanding freshmen class hopefully will lead us to an improved season in the PSAC." The Golden Eagles have 10 players back from last season including their leading hitter junior Kara Kelosky (Elwood City/Riverside), the starting shortstop. Last season, Kelosky hit .333 with one home run, 11 RBIs, nine doubles and two triples. She also scored a team-high 13 runs. "Kara has strong fundamentals and is a confident leader in the infield," Smoose said. "She is a solid hitter and an aggressive base runner." Kelosky will be backed up by freshman Corinna Sternthal (Transfer/Reynolds). "Corinna has shown a lot of improvement from the fall," Smoose said. "She is very coachable." Joining Kelosky in the starting infield will be sophomore Suzie DeNillo (Harrison City/Penn-Trafford) at first base, sophomore Brittany Becker (Titusville/Titusville) at second and either freshman Lauren Martino (Smicksburg/Punxsutawney) or freshman Nicole Lollo (Callery/Seneca Valley) at third. Last year, DeNillo played in 29 games for Clarion and made 27 starts. She hit .292 with a home run, 13 RBIs and seven runs scored. "Suzie has a great presence on the field," Smoose said. "She takes charge in high-pressure situations and is a strong player both offensively and defensively." Becker played in three games last season and was 1-for-6 with an RBI. "She is a strong defensive player who has shown a lot of confidence in the field," Smoose said. Martino comes to Clarion after a stellar multi-sport career at nearby Punxsutawney High School. She scored over 1,000 career points in basketball while setting the school record for most career hits and career home runs in softball. She helped the Lady Chucks to the District 9 title and a PIAA Class AAA runner-up finish her junior year. She can also play first base. "Lauren is a strong player with great field sense," Smoose said. "She is also a solid hitter and base runner." Lollo was a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review All-Section player last season at Seneca Valley after hitting .379 while helping the Raiders to a second-place finish in the WPIAL. "Nicole will have an immediate impact on our team," Smoose said. "She is a quick, aggressive player who can cover a ton of ground, and she can hit with power." The infielders will be backing up an experienced pitching staff for the Golden Eagles that features juniors Valorie Rankin (Port Allegany/Port Allegany) and Lindsay Vevers (Johnstown/Sto-Rox) and sophomore Caitlin Lamison (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). Lamison was Clarion's top hurler in 2007 finishing with a 1-8 mark and five complete games. She had a 5.25 ERA. "She has outstanding speed and movement on the ball and has a variety of pitches and good location on her pitches," Smoose said. Vevers led the Golden Eagles in wins and strikeouts last season going 2-9 with a 6.09 ERA and striking out 29. In two seasons at Clarion, she has eight complete games and one shutout. "She has recovered from a hand injury in the fall and has made extreme improvements in a very short amount of time," Smoose said. "She adds strength to our pitching staff." Rankin was 1-6 a year ago with a 7.71 ERA and has two career wins including one shutout to go with 17 career strikeouts. "She has phenomenal movement on her ball and will be a huge asset to the team this season," Smoose said. "We can count on her to throw the batters off with how well her ball breaks." Catching the ball behind the plate for the Golden Eagle hurlers will be sophomore Marissa Myers (Harrison City/Penn-Trafford) and freshman Dana Johnson (Grampian/Curwensville). Myers made 27 starts last year and played in eight games behind the plate. She hit .224 with four RBIs, three doubles and a triple. "She is a strong, vocal leader on the field with a strong arm who is also a power hitter," Smoose said. Backing up Myers will be Johnson, who was the starting catcher on the PIAA Class A champion Curwensville squad last year. She hit .465 for the Lady Tide while also knocking out eight triples. She also smacked four career home runs while earning four softball letters. "She is adjusting to the college game," Smoose said. "She has a great work ethic and is a strong player both offensively and defensively, and she can hit for power." Clarion's outfield is still up in the air but will feature some combination of seniors Jenelle Hallowell (Emporium/Cameron County) and Lauren Stauber (West Mifflin/Lincoln), sophomore Ashley Grisnik (New Brighton/New Brighton) and freshmen Carlie Cook (Brookville/Brookville) and Katie Baun (Rochester Mills/Punxsutawney). In her first extensive action for the Golden Eagles, Stauber played in 18 games last season with 16 starts and hit .297 with a home run, three doubles and five RBIs. "She will start in leftfield," Smoose said. "She is a great leader in the outfield with strong fundamentals and outstanding game sense." Hallowell played in 16 games a year ago making six starts and hit .222 with three runs scored. "She has a strong arm and good field sense," Smoose said. Grisnik is a transfer from Geneva College where she played in 2006. She hit .286 with six doubles while stealing nine bases in 11 attempts for the Golden Tornadoes. "Ashley adds tremendous speed to our outfield and will be a threat on the base paths," Smoose said. Cook, from nearby Brookville, is the younger sister of former Clarion baseball player Cole Cook, who hit .304 as a senior last year for the Golden Eagles. She helped the Lady Raiders to District 9 Class AA championships in 2005 and 2006 and hit over .400 last season. "Carlie will contribute to the team immediately," Smoose said. "She has great speed and arm strength and is a sound fundamental player." Like Martino, Baun also comes to Clarion from nearby Punxsutawney where she helped the Lady Chucks to a state runner-up spot as a junior. "She is adjusting to the college game and has a great, positive attitude," Smoose said. "She is a hard worker who can play both the outfield and the infield." NOTES - Clarion is without the services of sophomore outfielder Rachelle Yarger (Wallauton/Philipsbug-Osecola) this season due to a shoulder injury in the fall. Yarger hit .241 with 10 runs scored, a home run and seven RBIs last year ... After the five games in South Carolina, the Golden Eagles return north and travel to Seton Hill March 26 before opening PSAC-West play at defending PSAC and Mid-Atlantic Region champion Lock Haven March 28 ... Clarion opens it home slate April 5 when it hosts Lock Haven. The Golden Eagle softball field is located at the end of West Main Street in Clarion in the Memorial Stadium complex ... The Golden Eagle softball team can be followed all season on www.clariongoldeneagles.com. |
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