Shaking off the rust

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – In its first games in over a calendar year, Southwestern softball hit the field for its season opener against Kansas City, Kansas Community College Sunday afternoon.

The Spartans dropped both games of their doubleheader 6-0 and 10-2, taking some time to get going at the plate, according to first-year head coach Nick Weinmeister.

“Offensively we were really poor,” said Weinmeister. “It took us a little bit to get going. ... Seeing the first live pitching outside and in-game action was an adjustment that we weren’t able to make.”

Weinmeister stated that the opportunities were there to manufacture runs in the middle innings for the Spartans, but the lineup could not bring any home.

“Their pitchers did a good job in mixing up pitches and keeping us off balance,” said Weinmeister.

Weinmeister did have praise for Spartans starter Kelsey Tibbs, giving her the ball in game one of the season against a Blue Devils team that was winners of their last three going into Sunday.

“Kelsey was phenomenal. There was a couple of defensive miscues that put us behind the eight ball early, but she was really dialed in throughout the whole game. She kept us in it, kept it competitive, and did a good job for us.”

Tibbs, a right-handed freshman out of Earlham, threw six innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out four and walking one.

Game two was a different story on offense, with the Spartans plating their first two runs of the season on an Ella Rutherford base hit after having the side retired in order twice to start the game.

The RBI came while the Spartans trailed 6-0 in the third inning and pulled the difference to four. It was the closest the Spartans came to evening it up as the Blue Devils pulled away for a 10-2, inning shortened win.

“(We) got behind early and had trouble finding the zone,” said Weinmeister. “Heather (Jessen) started for us and then Ali (Enright) came in and did a good job for us. It was that fifth inning of stringing a couple hits and runs that put us behind.”

Jessen’s and Enright’s first appearances of the season both lasted two innings pitched.

A tough day to open the season is also met with knowing that after not fielding a team last season, Southwestern is gaining experience as it goes.

“The biggest thing I have to remember is that none of my girls have played a meaningful game at the college level, so there were good and positive things to take away from today for sure. ... We talked about it before the game started, it being the first games for SWCC softball in two year, so the biggest thing was getting that team back and being competitive, and I think we were today.

“But, we also talked about how we’re not here just to be competitive and play games. We want to win, and it’s going to take a little bit for us to get going, and I think we’ll find more success now that we have two games under our belt.”

UP NEXT – Southwestern heads to Beatrice, Nebraska to face Southeast Community College for double headers today (Monday) and Tuesday.

For Weinmeister and the Spartans, it’ll be the first test of the season as scheduling has given the Spartans six road games in three days. For the first year head coach it’ll be a challenge in balancing fresh players while still fielding the best team he can to win.

“With the roster numbers where they’re at depth is going to be a concern. We just don’t have the luxury of having as many subs as we need to to throw the lineups out there that we want,” said Weinmeister. “We definitely put lineups out there that are more than capable of getting the job done, but especially when we have weeks like this where we have as many games as we’re playing it’s going to be more keeping everyone fresh and getting that first week of game action under our belts.”

Kansas City, Kansas 6, Southwestern 0

R  H  E

SWCC  000  002 0   —  2 1  2

KCK  200  112  X  —  6  13  5

KCK: Faith Maslak 7IP 9K 0BB. SWCC: Kelsey Tibbs 6IP 3K 1BB. W — Maslak. L - Tibbs. HR – KCK: Kaylee Arnzen. 3B — ILCC: Britney Smith. 2B – KCK: Alexis Rymer. RBI – KCK: Arnzen (2), Rymer (2), Shaylun Grosstephan, Britney Smith. Stolen bases – KCK: Devin Purcell, Brittney Beck.

Kansas City, Kansas 10, Southwestern 2

R  H  E

SWCC  002  00  —  2 2  1

KCK  241  03  —  10  11  2

SWCC: Heather Jessen 2IP 1K 1BB, Ali Enright 2IP 1K 0BB. KCK: Grosstephan 4IP 3K 0BB, Mackenzie Pinkerton 1IP 0K 0BB. W — Grosstephan. L - Jessen. HR — KCK: Smith. 3B – KCK: Arnzen. 2B – KCK: Hannah Redick, Alexis Rymer. SWCC: Hannah Perez. RBI – KCK: Jennica Messer (2), Paris Forshey (2), Smith (2), Rymer, Arnzen, Purcell. SWCC: Rutherford (2). Stolen bases – KCK: Purcell, Messer.