With spring around the corner, the American River College softball team prepares for a season of redemption. The team looks to build upon their strong finish from last season, and improve in all aspects of the game.
The Beavers’ softball team ended with a subpar record last season, finishing 10-25. Coach Lisa Delgado is very optimistic about the team’s chances this year. She hopes the girls build upon the momentum they established towards the end of the season. “The team was very young last season,” said Delgado.
Despite their record, the softball team led the Big Eight Tournament in home runs with a total of 25, finished the season second in the division in hits with 296 and in runs scored with 254. The Beavers hope to maintain their batting momentum with the help of sophomore first baseman Kayla Appino, who in 34 games had a .344 batting average with 22 RBIs, and has scored 21 runs for the Beavers.
One of the top positions the Beavers need to look to improve on for this season is their pitching. The team’s earned run average was 6.27, putting them over a run higher than the next team in the division. The Beavers have rebuilt their pitching staff around freshman starters Jessica Henney and Karolanne Tipton, who look to solve the pitching struggles from 2011.
Combine that with the fact that the Beavers finished the season on a high note, winning four of their last six games to close out the season, and the team has every right to be optimistic. “The girls started to figure everything out towards the end of the season,” said Delgado.
The ARC softball team’s next home game is Friday, Feb. 10in a doubleheader against Lasen College at 1 p.m.
