Barons exit softball playoffs at hands of Urbana

Urbana 15, Bethesda-Chevy Chase 0

‘‘Despite our record we made great strides in our ability to hit the ball,” second-year B-CC coach Chad Mack said. ‘‘We were only shut out in three games and often put up runs in bunches.”

The Barons’ 2007 campaign got off to a rough start when just prior to the season Mack was informed his go-to pitcher had been deemed ineligible. However first baseman Emily Becker, who only had slow-pitch experience, volunteered to step inside the pitching circle.

Given the dire situation, she did a good job of holding things together for B-CC this year. Becker was backed by a solid defensive unit. Junior catcher Ginna Roach led the team at the plate with a .392 batting average with three home runs, three triples and a team-high 21 runs batted in.

Junior third baseman Megan Wainwright inspired her peers, overcoming devastating injuries in a car accident last year to bat .324 with three home runs and 11 RBI.

The Barons will have a fighting chance to improve next year, as their entire starting line up returns next year. And they’re hoping that the added year of varsity experience will prove beneficial in 2008.

‘‘I want to continue our progress hitting and improve our defense,” Mack said. ‘‘We made good contact with the ball all year now we need to add more power to our hits. If we improve our pitching, I think we have a real chance to be a contender next year.”