By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
In their only contest this week, the softball team fell to Sacred Heart Monday afternoon, 8-2, remaining winless in the first three games this season.
The Whalers (0-3) lost two games this week, Friday’s meeting against Harwich was postponed until April 29 and Saturday’s contest against Sacred Heart was moved to May 3. Nantucket is scheduled to host Mashpee this afternoon before the 13-day spring vacation.
Against Sacred Heart on Monday afternoon the Whalers early game struggles continued as the Fighting Saints posted seven runs in the first two innings, only two of which were earned.
“The errors have been hurting us. We are not fielding the ball well and we are not hitting the ball well,” head coach Chris Maury said.
Rose Madden started the game on the mound for the Whalers and pitched two innings, allowing seven runs (two earned), five hits and one walk while striking out two batters. Kelsey Fredericks came on in the third inning and pitched the final four innings, striking out eight batters while allowing one unearned run on two hits and one walk.
“I think that Kelsey and Rose are doing their job and we have some work to do defensively,” Maury said.
The two pitchers have battled for the Whalers this season, striking out 28 batters, while walking eight and allowing nine earned runs in 18 innings. The Whalers defense, however, has posted 16 errors and 18 unearned runs in the first three games.
“In all three games we have played nervous in the first couple innings. A majority of the runs are unearned runs. We are tentative and not being aggressive enough on defense and not being relaxed,” Maury said.
In the first two games this season, Bourne and Dennis-Yarmouth each scored runs in the first inning. Sacred Heart posted three runs in the first on two hits and four runs in the second inning on three hits before adding an insurance run in the fourth inning on two hits and two passed balls.
“When you spot a team that many runs in the first inning, especially if they have decent pitching, you put yourself in a pretty tough hole,” Maury said.
The Sacred Heart hurler put up 15 strikeouts against the Whalers, while allowing only one hit in the game.
“Mental preparation is so much of the offensive end of the game. We have go to go to the plate and coach ourselves into that positive attitude,” Maury said.
Nantucket got on the board in the third inning. Aileen Fredericks walked, stole second and came around to score on a triple by Aislinn Dugan. The Whalers added their second run in the seventh inning when Luciana Moran reached first on a dropped third strike, stole second and third base and came in on a ground-out by Samantha Maxwell.
The Whalers’ offensive woes have been evident to coach Maury as the team has wracked up 31 strikeouts and mustered barely a .182 batting average in the first three games.
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