GIRLS’ SOFTBALL SPORT SHORTS, 2011-12–
(Scrimmages do not count toward win/loss record. Visit the Sports Section for girls’ softball features. For a simple overview of scores and upcoming games, check the Spring sport box scores, 2012 for dates, opponents and times for all Eagle sports).

Be sure to visit the 2011-12 girls’ softball schedule, home page, or check out Maxpreps.com. The Eagles are currently 0-1 overall and 0-0 in the West Sequoia League as of March 5. The Eagles will next travel to play against McLane High School, March 10.

GIRLS’ SOFTBALL, 2011-12
EAGLES DROP ALL THREE AT BUCHANAN–MARCH 5.

FC vs. HOOVER
The Eagles played against Hoover Patriots to open up the first game of the Buchanan Tournament. This was the second time the Eagles played against the Patriots. In the previous game, the Eagles lost to Hoover, 9-1. After losing by 8 points, the Eagles were hungry for a win.

FC came out strong from the beginning as pitchers senior Nicole Hensley and sophomore Jenna Weimer worked together. But the Patriots were not willing to accommodate and scored 3 runs in the first two innings.

The Eagles were unable to bat when Hoover?s advanced pitchers switched between slow and fast pitch. This threw off FC players and as a result. The Eagles were not able to get on base, losing the game, 14-0.

Senior Nicole Hensley, the team?s utility player, says that she is fond of her teammates for making improvements from the previous game.

?We played Hoover for the second time,? Hensley said. ?Although I was not able to play on the team the first time that FC scrimmaged Hoover, I saw them play and thought that from then on we have made so much improvement. We got good hits and played good defense; but just wasn?t able to keep a lead on them.?

According to junior Taylor Neufield, who plays in outfield, the tournament was a beneficial experience for the team. Neufield plans on working on throwing since it is a crucial part of softball.

?Yesterday?s tournament was a great learning experience for the team,? Neufield said. ?I was a little disappointed because most of our losing was from errors not from loss of ability. Against Hoover, I think throwing hurt us a lot; so that?s something we can work on together.?

Freshman Gaby Siqueiros says that staying confident on the field can affect the game.

?We weren?t able to do much against Hoover,? Siqueiros said. ?In the future, we need to stay confident when we are at bat and focus on the ball. We should also encourage each other even when we are losing.?

According to FC head coach Jeff Ragan, although it may be difficult for the girls to play against bigger teams,

?When we play schools like Hoover, they are larger and stronger than us,? Ragan said. ?Every game is a challenge for us, not only due to inexperience, but also a limited number of players. These students-athletes, representing FC in softball, are giving their all on the athletic field so score does not matter to us.?

FC vs. FOWLER

Despite losing the first game against Hoover High School, the Eagles came back on the field with confidence and played against Fowler Redcats.

The Redcats opened up the game by scoring three points in the bottom of the first inning. Fowler continued to score as the Eagles? inability to bat stopped them from scoring and lost, 18-0.

According to Hensley, she wants to work on ground balls and hitting.

?The game against Chowchilla was a good challenge,? Hensley said. ?I could work on everything; especially ground balls and hitting. As a team communicating and making sure we know where to throw the ball.?

Junior Taylor Neufield says that being quick on the field can help the team. In order to win the upcoming games, the team needs to have fun and relax.

?Against Chowchilla, our slowness affected the game,? Neufield said. ?I think we need to improve on our quickness and concentration more then anything else. Also, we need to improve on having more fun and less stress. Even though we lost, I am still proud of my team because my teammates and I tried hard. ?

Senior Dana King, who plays at short stop and second base says that the team needs to be more aggressive.

?I think our toughest thing was offense,? King said. ?We were not seeing the ball and then once we got on the base we were not being aggressive at all. Defense wise, we were not listening to our coaches and in the outfield we were not communicating. For the next game, we need to communicate and figure out who is doing what and be confident.?

FC vs. CHOWCHILLA

In the last game of the tournament, FC Eagles played against Chowchilla Redskins for the first time in the WSL league. After losing 2 games, the Eagles were looking forward for a win against Redskins.

Although the Eagles were not able to score any points in the previous games, FC scored 4 points against Chowchilla. Although the Eagles made a progress, it was not enough to defeat the Redskins and lost, 14-4.

According to freshman Gaby Siquieros, it is not about winning or losing but learning from the previous mistakes.

?I think we did a great job,? Siquieros said. ?Even though we lost, we still tried our best and that?s all it matters. I am glad that we learned a lot from this tournament and I hope that we will learn more as the season continues on.?

Junior Taylor Neufield says that it is important to encourage each other even when the team is losing.

“We need to encourage each other constantly,” Neufield said. “At practices, games and especially when we are losing. Because I know encouragement from my teammates help me a lot so I will try to motivate the team by being positive.”

The Eagles will next play against McLane High School on March 10.