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A year ago, Edinboro University softball coach
Dan Gierlak relied on his upperclassmen to provide leadership to a
squad which featured 11 freshmen. This season he again asks for
leadership, but ironically enough, he will ask his freshmen to
lead a team which last season went 10-19-1 overall, 2-16-1 in the
PSAC West.
Gierlak will once again showcase a youthful
team, with seven freshmen and five sophomores. Many of the
youngsters will play key roles.
The Fighting Scots must replace two-thirds of
their starting outfield as well as the middle infielders and both
corners. Perhaps the biggest blow to the squad is the loss of
senior Holly Hutchison. The starting first baseman suffered a back
injury last season and will not return for her senior season.
Hutchison led the team in RBIs and home runs the past two seasons
and has been the catalyst on offense.
“You can’t take a Holly out
of the order,” Gierlak related. “Holly has been our
leader. She can play any spot. She’s left-handed, swings the
bat well, works hard. To take somebody like that out is going to
hurt you down the road. We’ll just have to adjust and go from
there.”
Hutchison hit .277 a year ago and despite
playing in just 17 contests, led the Fighting Scots with 10 RBIs.
The former Geneva College transfer hit .317 in her first season at
Edinboro.
Despite the loss of Hutchison, Gierlak is
optimistic about this year’s squad. Offensively, Gierlak says
that his team must adapt to the higher level of pitching if they
want to stay competitive. Additionally, the squad will have to
play small ball.
“We can’t rely on Holly to
come in and get the hit now,” Gierlak stated. “We are
going to have to use all nine players and manufacture runs.
Slapping, hitting and running, we are going to have to gamble a
little bit more. One of our goals is to score one run an inning.
Take Holly out and that’s a lot of RBIs in there.”
Defensively, he says the team will rely on a
more experienced pitching staff which features depth and several
different looks.
“I think they will keep us in
games and we can use our depth to throw a lot of different things
at people,” Gierlak noted.
In addition to pitching duties, many on the
staff will see action in the outfield and infield on an everyday
basis.
While pitching will be the primary strength of
the squad, Gierlak calls attention to the freshmen duo of
shortstop Katelyn Gurgiolo and second baseman Dana Webb.
“I think one of the strengths
will be our middle infielders, even though they are freshmen,”
Gierlak remarked. “You hate to say that the strength of your
team will be freshmen, but I honestly believe that, and in the
fall watching them, the strength was those two. They are
outstanding.”
Gierlak was particularly impressed with the
athleticism the two bring to the team.
Admittedly, Gierlak has reservations about
asking freshmen to become impact players although he feels this
group of freshmen has that ability.
“Getting these freshmen to
compete at this level will be the hardest thing, but they competed
well in the fall. I think the attitudes have been great and this
team has pushed themselves really hard.”
But with so much emphasis placed on the need
for the freshmen to perform immediately, Gierlak is quick to point
out that the upperclassmen also have a role to play.
“They all need to step forward,
perform, and become leaders, especially those seniors,”
Gierlak stressed.
The Fighting Scots being their season with the
annual trip south, heading once again to Ft. Myers, FL and then
come home to begin a grueling schedule that offers Edinboro only
five home doubleheaders.
“I think the last couple of years
we played well early and then we got back home and didn’t
play as well early in the conference as I thought we could have.
Throughout the course of the season, playing well the entire year
is what will separate this team from others. We’ve got to
continue to finish it and play at the highest level all the time.”
PITCHERS
Gierlak likes what he sees in this year’s pitching staff.
Five pitchers who saw considerably action last season return, with
sophomores Vanessa Rose and Mary Lynn Arlotta turning in
impressive performances during their freshmen campaigns.
The depth of the staff is one of the greatest
strengths of this year’s squad, but Gierlak is still waiting
for an ace to emerge.
“I think the biggest thing with
our pitchers right now is that we need to have a couple of them
step up and want the ball,” Gierlak emphasized. “Someone’s
got to step forward and become the number one, and out of this
group, I think there is plenty of talent to do that.”
The lone senior on the staff is Kim Fleissner.
As a sophomore, she threw 62 1/3 innings with a 2.92 ERA but could
not match those numbers last season, tossing only 13 1/3 innings
in eight appearances. She went 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA.
“Kim has the ability to be very
good when she’s on,” Gierlak noted. “But her role
this year will be to throw in certain situations and work
primarily as the designated hitter. She can hit the ball well and
for power.”
Juniors Kim Kurchev and Jessica Lindamood are
both coming off solid sophomore seasons. Kurchev hurled 52 1/3
innings and posted a 3.88 ERA, both second-best on the team behind
Rose. Kurchev was 2-5 on the season, but showed great improvement
at the close of the season in complete games against Gannon and
Lock Haven.
“I think she’s learned to
become a pitcher and not a thrower,” Gierlak remarked. “And
she throws a great knuckleball that can really make you look bad.”
Lindamood pitched a team-high 69 2/3 innings
during her freshman year but last season tossed only 24 1/3
innings, going 0-4 with a 6.04 ERA.
“She’s a junior who has at
times thrown the ball extremely well,” Gierlak noted. “The
last couple of years she started out great and then she hurt her
arm a little and she just wasn’t able to finish as strong. We
just have to keep Jess healthy.”
Like Kurchev, Lindamood relies on the junk,
using the change-up as her “out” pitch. Lindamood has
also become a dominant hitter in the Fighting Scots lineup,
hitting .271 and knocking in 5 runs. When not pitching, she has
the ability to be an everyday player at either first base or right
field.
Rose and Arlotta enter their sophomore
campaigns full of potential after notable freshmen seasons. Rose
went 6-6, four more wins than any other pitcher on the staff, and
tossed a team-high 70 innings. The left-hander posted the lowest
ERA on the team at 3.60 and struck out a team-high 64 batters in
11 appearances.
“Her ball moves more than I’ve
ever seen,” related Gierlak. “Everything she throws
moves. Her main pitch is just movement, in and out. We are working
hard on the rise ball though.”
Rose fanned 10 batters against Lock Haven, and
then the following day struck out nine batters to close the season
against Slippery Rock.
“Look at Vanessa at the end of
the year and how she threw,” Gierlak noted. “She has the
ability to be a dominating player in the conference.”
Arlotta saw limited action her first year, but
was able to record a 2-3 record in 26 1/3 innings.
“Mary Lynn can be a very
dominating pitcher with focus,” Gierlak emphasized. “She
can throw it by you, but she has to learn to become a pitcher and
not just throw it by you. She’s working very, very hard on
that.”
Two newcomers figure to bolster the pitching
staff. Senior Chrissy Durkee, a local standout for Meadville High
School, is in her senior year academically. She came to Edinboro
three years ago and decided not to play before coming out this
year.
“At the time, I thought she was
the best player in District 10,” Gierlak noted. “I am
impressed with her. She’s been working very hard and can
really make the ball move. I’m anxious to see her.”
Freshman Chelsea Bosak is raw and will need
time to develop.
INFIELDERS
Young and inexperienced is the theme of the Edinboro infield. Gone
are four-year starter Andrea Palmieri at third base, Hutchison,
plus shortstop Kristi Diminuco and second baseman Basil Davis.
The lone veteran in the infielder is Leanne
Carmichael. The junior is a versatile player who has played first
base and catcher for the Fighting Scots. She will now make the
move to the hot corner to replace Palmieri. Carmichael started 28
games for Edinboro last season and is expected to make a big
impact this season.
“She’s going to be very
valuable to us wherever she plays,” Gierlak emphasized. “Leanne
has got to be able to step forward and hit the ball consistently.
She’s got to be able to come in and do that.”
Offensively, she has shown considerable
improvement since joining the Fighting Scots. She hit just .163
her freshman year, but boosted that to .241 last season with just
eight strikeouts in 79 trips to the plate. Defensively, she
committed just six errors of all last season.
Shortstop Katelyn Gurgiolo and second baseman
Dana Webb are freshmen who Gierlak expects to make an immediate
impact. Gurgiolo, who twice was an all-conference selection at
Medina High School in Ohio, faces the daunting task of becoming a
team leader.
“As a freshman it’s tough to
be a leader, but as a shortstop you have to learn to be the
leader,” Gierlak related. “You hate to throw that on a
freshman but I feel confident she will perform.”
Defensively, she brings a great glove and quick
release. She also has great speed and range. Offensively, Gierlak
hopes to take advantage of her speed, utilizing her as a slap
hitter in the leadoff role.
“She makes things happen both
offensively and defensively,” Gierlak noted. “She’s
very coachable and has a great work ethic.”
Webb is a sophomore academically will join the
Fighting Scots for the first time and will start at second base.
“Dana has a great glove, great
range, and a very strong arm,” Gierlak remarked. “She
covers the bunt extremely well and is a very heads up player who
works extremely hard.”
Offensively, Webb has one of the quickest bats
Gierlak has seen and thinks she can hit for power.
Gurgiolo and Webb can both cover a lot of
ground and Gierlak is excited to watch the duo.
“They are a great combination.
When those two turn double plays it’s like they’ve been
together for a long time. They get to a lot of balls that other
people can’t get to. They’ll be fun to watch. The nice
thing is that they are both freshmen.”
First base lacks a definite starter with the
absence of Hutchison and Carmichael moving to third, but the
Fighting Scots have several players capable of starting at that
position. Lindamood is an option when not pitching and has seen
action there before, while Carmichael could also return to the
other corner. Sophomore Gabe Shields will also challenge for the
starting role.
“Gabe is still learning to
compete at this level,” Gierlak noted. “She has to learn
to play at this level consistently. She has a pretty good glove
and a strong arm, as well as the ability to hit the ball long.
Last year was a learning experience for her, but she’s got
the ability to be good.”
Shields saw limited action a year ago, playing
in six contests.
Behind the plate, sophomores Mandie Iorfido and
Jessica Cox will vie for the starting spot. After joining the team
at the end of the conclusion of the basketball season,
Iorfido recorded a team-high .377 batting
average. Though she missed the southern trip, she took over as the
starting shortstop before moving behind the plate.
“I thought she should have been
an all-conference player last season,” Gierlak related. “She
hits the ball extremely well. She’s been able to come up with
big hits when we need it. I think she is going to be an
outstanding player.”
Iorfido went 12 for 25 with runners on last
season and hit .500 with the bases loaded.
Meanwhile, Cox holds a defensive edge,
including a stronger arm.
“I think Jess throws better than
Mandie. She has a quick release and will be able to throw out
runners. She calls a nice game. She’s a big kid behind the
plate and is a very good receiver of the ball,” Gierlak
noted. “She has to get used to the level of pitching as far
as hitting goes. She’s got good ability but her bat has to
come around. When it does, she will be a great player.”
Cox played in 13 games, hitting .212.
Freshman Danielle Arno will challenge
Carmichael for third base, but may also see time in the outfield.
Arno has a good glove and has worked hard at her fielding but will
need to adjust to the level of pitching to earn a spot in the
order.
OUTFIELDERS
Gierlak entered the 2005 season with the outfield as one his team’s
strengths. A year later it is an entirely different story as the
outfield has now become a primary concern with seniors Tara
Frantz, a four-year starter, and Jen Ronald, an all-PSAC
selection, gone.
Gierlak will rely on senior Cyndi Carnaghi to
anchor the outfield. Used primarily as a reserve last season after
transferring from UNC-Pembroke, she is expected to improve her
contributions both offensively and defensively.
“Cyndi’s one of the leaders
on this team and she’s got to have a great year for us,”
Gierlak remarked. “I think she really has stepped up in
leadership abilities. I just think that she’s got to learn to
be a little bit tougher. She’s got to learn to stay on course
and keep her confidence up. She struggles with the bat but she has
the ability to make the plays for us again and again.”
Carnaghi hit .222 in 36 at bats, driving in 5
runs.
Junior Hannah Kipfer will take over full-time
in left field, a position she played near the end of last season
after making the move from catching.
“She has done a great job of
getting faster,” Gierlak added. “She can hit the ball
well but also needs to learn to do it more consistently.”
Kipfer ended the year with a .254 average in 54
at bats.
Right field is a toss-up with four possible
choices. Lindamood and Rose are available when not pitching, as
well as freshmen Abby Goetschius and Ashleigh Smith. Lindamood
spent considerable time at designated hitter a year ago, finishing
fifth on the team with a .271 average and 5 RBIs, while Rose is
the only lefty on the team.
Freshman Goetschius hit .416 her final year at
nearby high school Strong Vincent and has family ties to the
Edinboro program. Sister Amber Goetschius also played for the
Fighting Scots.
Smith competed at Mars High School and is a
transfer from Clarion University but did not play softball for the
Golden Eagles.
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