Bishop pitcher Dani Haley, who pitched the entirety of a softball doubleheader against Denison, gave up only one run and led the Bishops to two victories over the weekend.
Sophomore Haley pitched a shutout in the first game and 19 strikeouts total.
Haley said her state of mind often affects how she plays.
“I was throwing really good,” she said. “When I don’t think I do really well, it pretty much my whole life.”
The Denison Big Red managed two hits off Haley in the opener but scored no runs against the Bishops.
In the third inning of the second game, Denison tied a Bishop run with a line drive by Kait Fiore hit towards Haley that skimmed her glove. After a chopper and center single by Denison, Fiore ran home, making the score 1-1.
The Bishops answered the run and gained the lead in the end of the third.
Nethers smacked the ball towards third base and was eventually helped home by a sacrifice by freshman Cassi Ladina, who hit the ball towards Denison pitcher Kelsey Hager and got out. Nethers used this opportunity to run to home.
Haley effectively staved off any Denison scores in the rest of the second Bishop game and Ohio Wesleyan won, 2-1.
Head Bishop coach Cassie Cunningham said OWU played a great game and let her players set the strategy.
“I gave the players control of what they wanted to do, and from there, it completely empowered them to take control of the game themselves. In practice we had more strategy, but in the game I just let the players do their own thing.
Cunningham said she was highly pleased with the Bishop’s performance.
The Bishops are now 6-6 in North Coast Athletic Conference standings and Cunningham said they may even get a tournament bid.
“The team found trust and confidence that they didn’t know they had before,” she said. “Our conference is crazy.”
Junior Brooke Nethers, who scored in the second game, said the biggest challenge for her during the game was having enough patience and not chasing scores.
Nethers said she thought the team’s future looked bright.
“I definitely see us going to a conference in the future. We are doing well, and I know will do well,” she said.
The game was played Friday, April 20 at Margaret Sagan Field.
The Bishops have two more matchups in their regular season: they are playing Bluffton University and Allegheny College on Thursday and Saturday in doubleheaders starting at 3:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., In Bluffton, Ohio and Meadville, Pa., respectively.