Warriors clinch share

Star Beacon

May 20, 2008 02:43 am

— Earning a share of a seventh straight Northeastern Conference softball championship is certainly an accomplishment the Edgewood Warriors can take pride in, but it is probably overridden by a feeling that the 2008 season could have been so much better.
Coach Shelley Monas said putting the finishing touches on their share of the NEC title Monday with a 14-0 victory on their home field over Harvey was important.
The Warriors will either win the league outright or share it with Jefferson. Coach Paul Bodnar’s Falcons are tied in the loss column with Edgewood, but will need to win a yet-to-be-scheduled game at Geneva to earn a share of the crown.
Pitchers Megan Dragon and Brittney Mackey combined on a one-hitter in a game ended after four and a half innings by the mercy rule. The Edgewood offense backed that pitching with a 14-hit attack.
“A championship is a championship,” Monas said. “(Winning seven straight) is a huge achievement.”
But there is also a hollow feeling for a team that is only two years removed from playing in the state Final Four in Division II and had high hopes of a return visit that has not approached those lofty goals. After all, after a run of three straight sectional championships, the Warriors were not able to reach that level this year.
“The fact is. we didn’t achieve our goals,” Monas said. “We’ve got to step back and ask ourselves, ‘why?’”
Edgewood (18-4, 10-2) settled the issue in the second inning, scoring six runs. An eight-run third inning put the game into mercy mode.
Senior catcher Liz Wilson ended her career with the Warriors in style with a triple and double among three hits to go with two runs. Fellow senior Katie McMellen added two hits and three RBI, while the third senior on the team, Sam Kalil, scored twice.
Monas expressed pride in her three seniors for their leadership qualities on and off the field.
“Sam stepped up for us big time this year, playing third base and being our sixth hitter. She has a great year,” the coach said. “Liz caught every game for us this year, improved with her bat and gave us great leadership. She was our vocal leader.
“It’s been a real privilege working with Katie. She has been a coach’s dream. She always led by example on the field.
“All of them have done the job in the classroom, too,” Monas said. “They’ve been a part of three sectional championships and the trip to the Final Four. They’ve really put quite a stamp on our program.”
Kasi Mercilliott doubled among two hits, scored twice and drove in three runs. Jordyn Cicon also had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Lauren Childs and Leanne Rose each scored twice. Martin tripled and drove in two runs.
That was more than enough support for Dragon and Mackey. Dragon (15-2) gave up the only hit of the game for Harvey (5-17, 0-11) to Lakeisha Ferguson with one out in the first inning, but shut down the Red Raiders through the rest of the first three innings, registering eight strikeouts and yielding no walks. Mackey finished with three strikeouts and one walk in her two innings.
Now the search for Monas will be on to find leaders of the caliber of Kalil, McMellen and Wilson. It will take a lot of introspection from the returning Warriors.
“The theme I’m going with is that we have to have self starters,” she said. “We have to have people who are going to step up.
“We always have a target on our back at Edgewood. We’ve got to get the hunger back.”
— Karl Pearson

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