Evan FitzGerald, Staff Reporter
Throughout all the ups and downs of the 2007 season, this years CSU Monterey Bay softball team has surpassed their win totals from last season in both conference wins, eight, and overall wins, 21.
With no field on campus to play their home games, injuries and eligibility issues, the Lady Otters have been competitive in every game and have been playing their best softball in the second half of the season, achieving a record of 10-9 from the end of March and into April.
"We are playing teams we should beat," said senior outfielder Jessica Wardle of the teams in the CCAA. "And our pitching is great when the defense backs them up."
The highlight of the season occurred on April 1 in Turlock when the team came together to win the Bronze Bracket at the Mizuno Tournament of Champions. In the tournament, the Lady Otters won a school record six straight games to clinch the bracket, thanks to the outstanding playmaking of Otters Kristin Rasmussen, Jessica Boyle, Ramona Garcia Wardle, and Ashlee Trotter, who was named to the all-tournament team after hitting .429 with 12 RBI’s in eight games.
"We finally came together, the mentality of the team was confident," said Wardle, who holds the school record for most stolen bases in a season with 24. "We knew we could go out and compete."
With only several games left to play and their final home games on April 27 at the Salinas Sports Complex against Grand Canyon University, the Lady Otters are doing their best to finish the season on a positive note. The bats are firing on all cylinders, giving the Otters much needed run support for their pitching staff. "We'll pull some wins, defiantly," said Garcia, a senior pitcher. "Our team chemistry is definitely there."
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