Featured Image: Senior Caitlin Myers swings the bat against Husson University on Saturday, March 18. James Hill | Courtesy
Virginia Wesleyan softball continues their display of domination again this season. Their 21-5 impressive record seems to become routine as they work closer to get to nationals and in hopes of bringing home their fourth national championship.
The Marlin’s display of athleticism has guided them to great highs thanks to consistent hitting from Julia Piotrowski, Alison Pollack, Sarah Prosser, Laci Campbell, Emma Adams and many more. The impressive hitting streak has helped the Marlins outscore their opponents 143-56 this season.
The mound has seen consistency from three designated pitchers: Emily Seale, Emma Adams and Lauren Bible. A trio that has generated 104 strikeouts, a combined ERA (earned run average) of 1.71 and an impressive average of 2.39 runs against per game.
Sophomore pitcher Lauren Bible has helped the Marlins on the mound this season with a 3-1 winning record. Additionally, her strikeout totals have been growing as of recently, which the team finds resounding. On the other hand however, Bible hasn’t let this talk go to her head. As she actively states that there is so much more softball to be played in the grand scheme of things.
“My strikeouts may be growing but it will always alter. As long as I continue to strive for more strikeouts, continue to make adjustments, and celebrate the wins, I will continue to have success in that area,” Bible said.
Coach Brandon Elliott’s high expectations have seemingly been answered in the team’s first 23 games. The successful head coach has been rallied around by this group of girls as they’ve set off in the 2023 season. “I attribute this success to the fact that Coach Elliott recruited great talent, and seeing that made us want to compete more. Our team is also very close, this also helps the team dynamic, making us work together like a well oiled machine,” Bible said. Though Elliott has made history as the coach with the most wins in Virginia Wesleyan University history, he is also a notorious recruiter.
Elliott always attributes the program’s success to the women who played the sport years prior here. This has been vital to growing the program in size and the success they’ve had so far. “Certainly in the last 16 years, as far as building this team into a perennial national power. The women that were here before really have given us the opportunity to build it,” Elliott said.
The Marlin’s record can also be attributed to the attitudes in the locker room after losses. The team knows when they’ve made mental errors and can rally around each other to fix them.
“In that second Lynchburg game, where we lost 3-6, we just didn’t play our game. We all made mental mistakes, and we couldn’t stop the bleeding as soon as we wanted. We beat ourselves in that game,” Bible said. This Lynchburg loss didn’t fully paint the picture in their double-header, seeing as they won the first game, 5-0.
The Marlins will keep their eyes on the prize as ODACS are right around the corner. The coaching staff and players are in hot pursuit of chasing their fourth national title in program history and want nothing more than the “natty champs” phrase to say.
By Josh Heller
jmheller@vwu.edu
