It is officially spring, which means it’s finally softball season! The Cortland Softball team started their season during spring break in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.
The team was originally scheduled to play 10 games, but only got in 6 due to the weather conditions. Despite the weather, the Red Dragons had an impressive start to the spring season going 6-0. Cortland shined on the offensive end scoring a total of 57 runs in the only 6 games they played.
Outfielder Gina Meyers has proven herself to be an offensive weapon, with a .524 batting average. Meyers was a standout player last year as well, named SUNYAC All-Tournament Team, starting in all 41 games. This week she was awarded the SUNYAC Athlete of the Week because of her dominating performance at the plate.
Elaina Ornstein has been a standout catcher for the Red Dragons. The sophomore from Yorktown heights starts the season with an impressive .428 batting average. Ornstein had a very successful freshman season, batting .309 so it is no surprise she is a star player already this season. Ornstein attributes their success during spring break to their team chemistry.
“We are definitely more bonded together as a team. We are confident and have a lot of fun together,” said Ornstein. The team focuses on team chemistry a lot during the off season to ensure everyone is comfortable with each other. In early March the team went to Camp Huntington at Raquette Lake for their annual pre-season team bonding trip.
Brooke Scheibe, a sophomore outfielder, also had a strong start to her season going 9-20 with her first collegiate homerun in the books against Albertus Magnus. Scheibe didn’t play much last year. Last season overcame an injury season and now feels a lot more comfortable back on the field now this time around and is expected to have a successful season.
“Last year I had an ankle injury right before the start of the spring season that was a setback, but over the past year I got surgery and was able to rehab and return to play,” says Scheibe the sophomore from Sayville. “This year I feel a lot more comfortable, and I owe that to the environment my teammates have created in the game setting. The most efficient way to play a sport like softball is to be loose and when your support system is right next to you on the field it’s a lot easier to do that.”
The pitchers have been solid as well with two shutouts on the week. Kimberly Westenberg and Karlee Weeden had a phenomenal start to their seasons with a 1.26 and 1.62 ERA respectively. They started the season with a 9-0 shutout against Suffolk University. Weeden pitching six scoreless innings and Westenberg finishing off the shutout in the 7th.
Westenberg, who just received the SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week, also pitched a full game against Albertus Magnus in another scoreless game for the opposition, 8-0. Westenberg recorded 15 strikeouts and no walks in her 15 and 2/3 innings pitched for the week.
There is a lot to look forward to from the team this year. When both the offensive and defensive sides of the field are showing impressive stats this early in the season, the Red Dragons are bound to have a great season ahead of them.
“If we maintain this good energy, we can accomplish big things come post season,” said Scheibe.
The Red Dragons are set to play their next double header against The College of New Jersey in Ewing N.J on Saturday, March 25.