 Kristy Gordon/Collegian photographer
Michelle Dreiling, sophomore catcher,connects with the ball for a single base run against McPherson College April 16. The women beat the Lady Bulldogs 4-1 and 13-6. There was a tailgating party preceding the game, which was at Broadway Sports Complex.
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The top-ranked team of the KCAC softball visited Winfield to meet up with the Moundbuilders. Friends University is currently on a 21 game win streak and has won all 12 conference games.
Southwestern played the Falcons tough in the first game but came up short in a 3-0 ballgame. The ladies lost 14-1 in the second of the double header.
The second Friends game was the last conference game of the season. The Ladies will play one more double header against Stephens College Thursday in Columbia, Mo.
With the KCAC tournament a week away, the team is taking some good things out of the last few weeks, noting improvements and gains over the past month.
Amber Good, head coach, said, "We are going to keep doing what we have been doing all year. I feel that we are coming around at the right time and I'm very optimistic about what we are going to be able to do."
Kinsey Colclasure, senior catcher, said, "When we show up to play defense and hit well, we are a pretty good team and can go out and play with anyone in the conference."
The team has now had a chance to look at all the competition in the conference. The team lost a pair to Ottawa University, 11-10 and 12-2, April 19.
After the close loss in the first game against Ottawa, 4th place in the KCAC, the team struggled in the second.
Leigha Foley, junior infielder, said, "I'm not sure what really caused us to be 'flat' the second game. We just had a problem connecting with the ball to bring in runs."
Bringing in runs wasn't a problem earlier that week. The ladies won a pair of home games April 16 against McPherson 4-1 and 13-6.
Having played everyone in conference, the team sees a few opponents as stand-outs in the conference.
Colclasure said, "So far, I think Bethany was a good team. We were up and they didn't quit playing and came back and won that game. That's a team who didn't quit and I think we reflected off of that and realize that's how we needed to be"
Good said, "KWU has had the best pitching we have faced so far this year."
The team is currently seventh in the KCAC. The Moundbuilders are one of only three conference teams who finished with regular season play. Depending on the outcome of McPherson's next two double headers, the team could slip up into to the sixth place spot.
The sixth spot may be lower than the team had hoped for in the regular season, but the team is still focused and is always a team that can beat any team at any time.
Colclasure said, "We brought in more talent this year and combined the talent we had last year and were able to compete in two games a lot better than last year. We have a lot more depth on the bench and that helps us out a lot more.
"When we show up to play, we're a team that's ready to compete."
Anthony Cook is a junior majoring in communication. You may e-mail him at anthony.cook@sckans.edu.
2008 Woodie Awards
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