FOUR WINS, FOURTH PLACE AT NWAC
AFTER DROPPING THEIR OPENER, SOFTBALL REELS OFF FOUR STRAIGHT TO TAKE FOURTH PLACE
BY JAMES HARLEY
The Cougars* softball team rolled into the NWAC
tournament with a good amount of momentum, but
ultimately it wasn’t enough.
After earning the second seed in the tournament,
the Cougars looked to roll through the tournament
with the momentum they had at the end of the regular
season after winning their last four games of the regular
season. However, after losing their first game of the
tournament to Centralia 6-5 last Friday, they found
themselves in a hole.
The team bounced back after their tough first round
loss by winning their next four games in the one-loss
bracket, but eventually lost to Bellevue, who was the
tournaments number one seed.
In the bottom of the sixth inning the Cougars* scored
three runs to take a 5-2 lead. Needing only three more
outs to keep their season alive the Cougars gave up
six runs on seven hits and one error in the top of the
seventh. They were never able to recover as they went
down in order to end the game and ultimately their
season.
Their efforts in the tournament earned them fourth
place, which is the fifth time they have finished fourth
in the NWAC tournament.
Despite being eliminated from the tournament, the
team still enjoyed a great season.
The season originally started out strong for them, as
they won 15 of their first 17 games, and despite a shaky
0-2 start to league play, they finished the season strong.
The Cougars ended the season winning 14 of their
last 17 games, including a stretch where they won eight
straight. They finished w ith a 33-10 regular season
record, and finished second in the Southern Region
conference with a 12-6 record.
Overall the team finished the regular season about
where they did last year. In 2015 they finished 35“ io ,
which was two more wins than this year, but ended with
the same amount of losses, so earing a top seed in the
NWAC tournament wasn’t much of a surprise to head
coach Jessica Buel.
" It’s kind of expected because we usually are one of
the top seeds” ,Buel said. “ “ We’ve been up and down
and we’re a young team, but we have stepped up when
we needed to and won some big games.”
When asked about how she thought the season went,
Buel said, “ I’m pretty happy how the season has gone.”
She also mentioned how CCC beat all the top teams in
the NWAC, which is something she was proud of.
Buel connected the team’s success to team chemistry,
and how they have bonded together.
"They work as a team” ,she said.“ They get excited
to be out there and that’s when they’ve been the most
competitive.”
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“Mfte/i you play softball, you're
kind o f screwed unless you work
together.”
Other players on the team such as Emily Marchbanks,
who is a pitcher for the team, also talked about the team
chemistry.
"W e’re all talented individually” ,Marchbanks said,
"but when you play softball, you’re kind of screwed
unless you work together”
Though team chemistry has been a big part of the
success, there have been other contributing factors.
When asked about what the team has done to do so
well, Hannah Vondomelen, who pitches for the Cougars
said, “ Putting things aside between all of us and playing
as a team and working hard consistently and having
good practices” .
"I feel like we have a lot of great players that get along
very well” ,she said, "and that’s something we need in
order to be successful” .
After a solid season, the Cougars look ahead to 2017, as
they look to earn over 30 wins for the eight consecutive
season.
Below: Pitcher Emily Marchbanks delivers a pitch
against Clark College on May 10.
photos by Travis David V Whittaker