But the RedHawks, 12-20 overall (before Tuesday’s home doubleheader against Morehead State) and 6-2 in the conference, have come out smiling on the other end. They are tied for first place in the MAC East Division with Kent State.
“The preseason was tough,” Crowell admitted. “Looking at the seasons prior, this is probably the toughest schedule that Miami’s had in a really long time. But it’s definitely helped us.
“What I told my girls is, ‘I promise you that all these struggles that we’re going through are going to make us a better team.’ I’ve actually been on teams where we were so successful early on, but those kids never really learned how to fight back. I’ve also been on a team that went through highs and lows all throughout the season, and that team ended up going to the World Series.”
MU has four road games this weekend, two against Ohio and two against Akron. The RedHawks, in fact, won’t play on their home field again until May 3.
Fast-pitch softball is often dominated by pitchers. Miami had a hard-throwing ace (Jessica Simpson) last year when it won the MAC and went 1-2 in the NCAA tournament, but this season has more of a committee approach with sophomore Megan Mattera (5-6, 3.69 ERA), junior Paige Myers (6-11, 4.42) and freshman Jenna Modic (1-3, 9.06).
“When you have a dominant pitcher like a Jessica Simpson, the defense doesn’t have to play that much,” Crowell said. “This year, we’ve had to learn how to pitch better, and the defense has been learning how to play. They’re getting better. I think pitching and defense go hand in hand.
“Megan Mattera has been a huge surprise for us. I don’t believe she pitched at all last year, and she’s really stepped up. She’s kind of our No. 1 kid.”
Offensively, junior catcher Kayla Ledbetter is putting up big numbers. She’s hitting .400 with eight doubles, six home runs and 28 RBIs.
“The stats say a lot about what she’s doing on the field, but she’s serious about this season,” Crowell said. “She’s working hard constantly.”
The other two RedHawks hitting above .300 are freshmen: utility player Hailey Reed (.333) and right fielder Taylor Shuey (.322), MU’s leadoff hitter.
“The girls are continuing to believe in the process, and it’s all finally starting to come together,” said Crowell, whose squad is 4-4 in extra-inning games. “When you have that, with a little bit of luck, you can do some great things.”
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