Lady Bucks Softball Hopeful for 2015
by Jim Morgan
FARWELL – The 2015 Lady Bucks Softball team has new faces on the coaching staff. There are going to be three head coaches as Mike Poorman is the main coach taking care of all decisions for the team. Coaches Bruce Ransom and Jim Morgan are there for support and training the girls on more detail fundamentals.
They are working with 15 girls on the roster and said they are working hard at each practice on fielding and batting indoors. The first thing the girls were told by the coaching staff is that they are more valuable as a player by knowing more positions than just one.
The Lady Bucks have yet to see their ball field for the last two and a half weeks since practice officially started. The coaching staff decided to call on Central Mountain about a scrimmage. Central Mountain and Bellefonte agreed to allow the Lady Bucks to come to Malinak Stadium and join their scrimmage on the artificial surface. Coaches Poorman, Ransom and Morgan were very pleased on what the girls showed on the field for the first time.
The Lady Bucks are looking at three pitchers this season as they will be led by junior Paige Sockman, freshman Maria D’Onofrio and Anna Cowfer will see time on the mound. The three of them have been throwing very well indoors. Behind the plate will be senior Maria Morgan and sophomore Emalea Mills and Sockman. First base is senior Tiffany Werts, junior Bridget Gardner, Mills and D’Onofrio. Second base we are looking at Morgan and a variety of other players. Shortstop you will see seniors Abby Ransom or Morgan. Third base: senior Shae Cowfer and a variety of other players. The infield is going to be determined by who is on the mound. Morgan and Ransom both have shown the strongest arms and have been looking great on turning double-plays at short and second. Shae Cowfer has shown quick feet and glove at third.
The outfield is still wide open for any of the other players: Juniors Katie Adams, Brandy Gregory, Leela Singh; sophomores Renee Werts, Amanda Tyrrell and freshman Allyson Chapman. This past Tuesday night the Lady Bucks added another freshman to the roster. The coaches said if the Lady Bucks can have some girls get comfortable in their positions, it could be real strong defensively. The Lady Bucks were reported working hard in the batting cage as they take live pitching.
The staff told The Record, “We hope that we can have the girls buy into our system. Right now they are showing that at practice on working hard and asking questions. You can work on so much indoors, the hardest position to work on is the outfield.
The Lady Bucks’ opener scheduled for Thursday at Muncy has been postponed until April 7th. So that means on Tuesday March 31st the Lady Bucks will open at Benton starting at 4:30 p.m. That is if their field will be ready?
