It’s going to be a season filled with challenge, yet also plenty of promise for the Bradford Lady Owls’ softball team.
Wins were hard to come by last season, but veteran coach Geraldine Lacney believes this group is ready to take a step forward in 2014.
“Last season we were young and inexperienced throughout the lineup,” noted Lacney. “This season, we are even younger on paper, but this is the most athletic group we have had in the past three seasons. Hopefully the athleticism will help us overcome the lack of experience.”
Bradford has five returning letterwinners — Ashlyn Kelly, the team’s lone senior, as well as juniors Rylee Lundgren, Amelia Chapman and Payton Llewellyn and sophomore Ashley Stoltz.
The Lady Owls appear to be strong up the middle, with Kelly patrolling center field, while Lundgren returns as the squad’s top pitcher and will play shortstop when not on the mound.
Chapman, meanwhile, will play second base, with Llewellyn in left field and Stoltz getting a majority of the work behind the plate.
Behind Lundgren in the pitching rotation will be Kylee Schaumleffel (sophomore), Makayla Belser (sophomore) and freshman Kaylee Brown.
“Pitching is so important in softball and we have been working hard to improve that area of our program,” Lacney said. “Rylee is the only pitcher with varsity experience, but Kylee, Makayla and Kaylee are working hard to be able to pitch at the varsity level as well.”
Four players from last season’s JV squad — Schaumleffel, junior Dana Kline and sophomores Makayla Belser, Makensi Belser and Emily Colosimo join the varsity fold, as well as freshmen Brown, Bryn Manion and Hannah Woodel.
In addition to pitching, Schaumleffel, as well as Kline, will see time in the infield at both shortstop and third base, while Makayla Belser can play the outfield or first base in addition to pitching and Makensi Belser will see time at catcher as well as in the outfield. Colosimo will play the outfield as well as catch.
“Our other big challenge has been hitting,” Lacney noted. “Again, we have worked hard to improve that. We are counting on our athleticism to help us improve faster than we have in the past.”
As for the freshman, Brown will serve as the primary JV pitcher as well as seeing some varsity action, while Woodel will play the outfield and second base and Manion, an infielder, will see time at first base and second base.
“We need to remember that this is a work in progress, and, as long as we continue to work, we will continue to make progress, for both teams (varsity and JV),” Lacney said.
The JV squad will also field a full team once again.
JV players include juniors Courtney Henry, Abby Roggenbaum, Lauren Kubeja, Mary Schroll, Kayla Taylor and Kierstin Fisher, sophomores Randa Isadore, Ellexus Weaver, Sophie McCabe, Holly Kilpatrick and Andrea Lipps and freshmen Kirstin Siffrinn, Emiliy Reams, Samantha Gross, Erika Hatch, Stephanie Wilt, Dana Mackey, Brown and Myah Seeley.
“Our numbers are very good again,” Lacney said. “The JV team is younger as well in terms of experience, but the opportunity to get playing time for more players should continue to help the program.”
Assisting Lacney will be Judy Abbey, Randy Ruffner, Sis Crappio and Misty Antonioli.
Antonioli, the newest member of the staff, has been working with the pitchers and will assist both the varsity and JV squads.
Like most of the teams in the area, getting outside to practice on the field has been an issue due to the cold and snowy weather. However, Lacney is optimistic that once they do, the progress will be fast and furious.
“It has been difficult to truly practice game situations,” she said. “Until the weather warms up, there isn’t much else we can do. Being out on a field would speed up our progress, so we are anxious to get outside.”
The Lady Owls are tentatively scheduled to open their season at Punxsutawney April 2.
The schedule is as follows:
April
2 — At Punxsutawney
4 — At Elk County Catholic
5 — DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC
7 — At Brookville
9 — DUBOIS HIGH
11 — ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC
14 — At Otto-Eldred
16 — At St. Marys
21 — At Johnsonburg
23 — CLEARFIELD
26 — At Port Allegany
28 — BROOKVILLE
30 — PUNXSUTAWNEY
May
5 — At DuBois
7 — ST. MARYS
9 — OTTO-ELDRED
12 — JOHNSONBURG
13 — SMETHPORT
