The Lady Vol softball team is currently 5-0 for the season, returning undefeated from the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah.
The team’s sixth game against Oklahoma State was canceled Sunday due to below freezing wind chills. Despite the weather, the team put up high numbers with some heavy hitting, something co-head coach Karen Weekly said they had been working on in practice.
“There’s a lot of keys to hitting with power. We’ve been working on that as a team and I think we did some things in the middle of the tournament out there to generate some power,” Weekly said.
Part of that power hitting starts with the pitch. As the team heads to Florida for the USF four-team tournament in Tampa, Weekly said she wants to see power generated from a good at bat.
“We have to have a good at bat, you have to get the right pitch and you have to be ready to take your cut when you get the right pitch,” Weekly said. “This weekend we’re gonna try to put the same kind of swings on the ball, but we’re gonna face some really good pitching down in Florida.”
Senior pitcher Ivy Renfroe said she felt the team’s recent experience in Utah helped them prepare for the rest of the season. She said she’s hoping the team will continued to attack and be aggressive both offensively and defensively.
“I just think we learned that we need to play together and come out and attack. …” Renfroe said. “I think we learned we can play together.”
Weekly said the team’s offense will be the focus of the season.
“We have a lineup that strengthens us offensively and we have a lineup that strengthens us defensively, but we talk about it all the time that the SEC, the teams that are winning the most in the SEC have strong pitching and strong offense,” she said. “We might give up a little bit here and there defensively to get those big sticks in the order.”
That said, the team will be moving to a four-pitcher system in Ivy Renfroe, Ellen Renfroe, Erin Gabriel and Cheyanne Tarango. Weekly said each individual will be expected to play their part.
“I think all four are gonna be key for us. They may not all four start different games, but all four are gonna have a place in different games,” Weekly said. “You may see a game where all four girls get in the game, that may happen down the road.
We’ve prepared each of them for that, to go in and go one time through the batting order and if that’s one it takes to give a team four different looks, that’s what we’ll do,” she said.
“At the same time, they each four have to be doing their job,” Weekly continued. “The number one thing for us is to get in there and throw strikes. We don’t want to get behind on hitters and we don’t want to walk batters. As long as each of them is getting in there and attacking batters and throwing strikes and staying ahead in the count and just in attack mode at all times, they’re each gonna play big roles for us.”
Ivy Renfroe said the additions to their pitching rotation are welcomed by she and her sister.
“Me and Ellen love having other pitchers pitch too. It gives us a break. We love having them with us,” Ivy Renfroe said. “It’s an advantage for us in a good way. You don’t get worn down, you get to rest for a game or so.”
For now, the team will be focusing on one game at a time.
“As a team we’re right where we want to be and just continuing playing one game at a time during the season,” Ivy Renfroe said. “You can get overloaded with winning the world series and all that stuff but one game at a time for sure.”
But that’s not where their focus stops.
“I think for us, especially for this season we’re really looking for the national championship at the end,” she said. “I know it’s far away, but it goes by fast. The motivation, I think, is there.”
