Softball squads battle bad weather to accrue playing time

Mother Nature won the early innings, but area softball teams are bouncing back and getting into a regular schedule of games.

A pair of snowstorms in the span of two weeks forced cancellation of several games for both L.D. Bell and Euless Trinity. However, both are now in District 7-6A play and the schedule is hopefully falling into place.

“The weather has been out of control this year,” said Trinity coach Cori Trevino. “I’ve never dealt with this before in regards to the number of games lost.

“We completely lost one tournament and two non-district games, which in total has been eight games. Luckily, we have been able to reschedule our district games to where we are finally caught up.”

The Lady Trojans entered this past weekend 0-9 overall and 0-3 in District 7-6A. With only one returning starter from last season’s playoff team, junior Shelbie Hughes, the team needed as much preparation as possible for the season.

Hughes moved from the outfield, where was she was honorable mention all-district twice, to pitcher this season.

“I’ve talked to many coaches, and most have said that they have never seen this kind of bad weather for this long,” said Bell coach Thomas Shives. “And a couple of coaches have been coaching for up to 25 years.

“We were fortunate to get in a tournament in Houston when everyone here in DFW was iced in, but I know some teams had played less than five games before district, and one 5A school close that didn’t play one single game before started. That’s crazy.”

The Lady Raiders entered play this weekend with a 6-9 overall mark and a 2-0 district ledger.

Unlike the Lady Trojans, the Lady Raiders returned plenty of talent this season from a team that advanced to the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Six starters are back.

Returning starters for Bell include junior third baseman Audrey Bates (first-team and second-team all-district the past two seasons), junior second baseman Hannah Duda (two-time second-team all-district), junior shortstop Valerie Page (second-team all-district, Star-Telegram Super Team 2014 and S-T Player to Watch in 2015), sophomore catcher Kelsi Wengert (first-team all-district), sophomore pitcher/outfielder Ashley Robinson (honorable mention all-district), and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Mackensi Mankel (honorable mention all-district).

Mankel, however, has been lost for the season to an ACL injury, Shives said.

Bates entered this past weekend with a team-leading .581 batting average.

Trevino said she has four freshmen on her varsity squad who “have shown great potential.” The quartet includes third baseman Kameron Cheshier, centerfielder Kassandra Salinas, first baseman Linnea Kolanowski, and utility player Sha’Roby Ratliff.

“We are at a disadvantage here in HEB as our freshmen are on the junior high campus, and we don’t get to work with them until our season starts in January, as opposed to other districts who get their freshmen in August,” Trevino said.

Shives pointed to three freshmen who have made an impact on his varsity this season, catcher/first baseman Randi Castillo (team-leading three home runs, .452 average), center fielder Alicia Marion (.364 average), and first baseman/right fielder Peyton Newman.

Despite the battles with weather, Shives believes his team is ready to contend for another playoff berth.

“We have played a very tough non-district schedule trying to prepare for a very competitive district. We’ve seen a lot of good pitching, hopefully preparing us for district competition,” Shives said. He called his team “a great group of girls that are playing well together right now, and having fun.”

And while she hopes her Lady Trojans fight back into contention, Trevino is hoping the weather will cooperate in that challenge.

“Hopefully the season (will bring) sunny, warm weather, and as a team we can rise to any challenges we face,” she said. “We might be a brand-new team full of young athletes, but the potential to be great is in our favor.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2015 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Softball squads battle bad weather to accrue playing time."