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Show B2 SPORTS Mix of newcomers and veterans already outdoing last year's production By NICK HEFLER Sports Writer On March 30, 2012 the women's softball team matched their win total from the entire 2011 season when they finished at 20-30. The Wolverines sat last week at 20-11-1 in this young 2012 season. The team has experienced quite the turnaround from last year as they continue to work toward their first PCSC title. Making the season all the more impressive is how much the team has been able to overcome. They lost pitcher Megan Peay to injury. She has since returned, but they have had to fill a spot at third base. After trying a few different players at the hot corner, they finally settled on Stephanie Likos to play third. So what has been the key to holding it all together this season? "Pitching," head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "That's what it's all been, pitching. Our pitchers have won us the games most of the time." Tiffany Mills, Cassie Her- rera and Peay have formed a three-headed monster on the mound for the Wolverines. Mills has been lights out, posting a 2.02 ERA in the season as of April 4. Peay and Herrera are not far behind her. Neither of them have an ERA above 3.77. The Wolverines have welcomed 13 newcomers to team up with the six girls who returned from last year's roster: Amanda Perez, Amanda Robinson, Charlee Cisneros, Deianna Russell and Josi Summers. Fairbourne has trusted the newcomers to play significant roles on the field. Of the top seven batting averages on the team, six belong to first-year Wolverines. Having so many people come in new to a program can often hurt a team in the loss column. A large reason for the success in acclimating the newcomers and bringing this team together are the girls who returned to the roster. "I think the six returners that came back, we did a pretty good job of trying to welcome them in," Robinson said. "We really tried to make them a part of our team since they're going to be the new legacy following down when us returners leave." "There are a lot of good kids on the team," Fairbourne said. "The continuity has basically been there in the dugout." The season hasn't been all roses, however. As of April 4, 2012 the Wolverines had lost three straight and found themselves in a bit of a slump. It's up to the team to pull it together and regain their early-season form as they are approaching the heart of their conference schedule. There are, in fact, flaws to having a young team. "Kids have to step up and be accountable," Fairbourne said. "It's there, but I think that's where the youthfulness is really coming into play. Some of these kids hit that lull of the difficult part right at the critical part of the season, right before league. They don't know how to deal with it." In order to snap out of their funk, "the kids will have to fight," Fairbourne said. Softball struggling at home By KEVIN OLSEN Sports Writer After nearly two months on the road to start the season, the women's softball team came back home to Wolverine Field to face the next 12 home games that were ahead. UVU entered the stretch on a five-game winning streak and winning eight of their last nine games. The home slate started with a doubleheader against the University of Kansas City, Missouri, where the Wolverines split the doubleheader as their second game resulted in a 10-7 victory following their 8-9 loss. Early in the season, head coach Todd Fairbourne expressed his concerns with the offensive play of the team, and following Wednesday night's 6-1 loss against then 15th ranked Hawaii, the concerns weren't eliminated. "[Hawaii] has a good ball club [but] I just don't think we got overwhelmed," Fairbourne said. "The kids have to play to the abilities they have and make some adjustments to put the ball in playable positions." Sophomore Amanda Robinson who, following Wednesday's game, had a .317 average, holds UVU's best batting average. Collectively, the Wolverines earned three hits off their 23 bats as they scored one run. Since the home game debut in late March, UVU has won two of its last eight games at home, in most cases losing by a small margin in the late inning while only scoring 20 total runs this season at home. "We've dropped some No' No. 4 PHOTO BY KEVIN BRYAN/UVU REVIEW Despite having just two reserves and its first-year status as a club sport, the women's lacrosse team was able to secure games against the University of Utah, BYU, Utah State and Weber State. LACROSSE from B1 Flyers and word of mouth eventually spread to lacrosse fans and players across campus, and the roster grew to 14 — enough to make a team. Although the girls are forced to play every game with only two subs, they don't complain. Instead, they look at it as another challenge they will overcome. Once an advisor was found and the roster was filled, everything started to take off. Darrell Robinson, the president of UVU lacrosse, found David Williams, who is now the head coach of both the men and women's UVU lacrosse teams. Williams had always had a goal of coaching at the collegiate level, so when he was approached with this opportunity, he couldn't say no. "I knew this would be a great way for me to get my foot in the door," Williams said. Williams has been able to incorporate the personal experience he gained while playing on the Utah State men's lacrosse team into his coaching methods for these girls. "We want to play as a team. Instead of having twelve individuals on the field, we want a unified team," Williams said. William's goal for next year is recruiting, which he says has already begun. They want add 20-25 more girls to the roster for next season, and anticipate moving to the Division I level within two to three years. This team has worked hard to not only become respected competition, but have also been able to defeat top-ranked teams such as Utah State and Weber State. With a 5-5 record thus far, the girls are very proud of what they have accomplished. Last Saturday's game demonstrated the ladies' will to overcome challenges as they defeated Utah State 14-12. As the lead bounced back and forth between UVU and Utah State, the Wolverines fought until the last second and ended with a strong victory. "Our strategy is to win," Williams said. And win they have. For those looking create a new club at UVU, visit uvu. edulclubs. YOUNG FAMILY DENTAL • Serving Utah Families for 40 Years! • Wisdom Teeth, Root Canals • General Dentistry, IV Sedation • Open Saturdays, Emergencies $49 for Exam, Xrays, & Cleaning Not valid with any other discount or offer. Orem Office 1834 S. State www.youngfamilydental.com Text CODE WOLVERINES to 46786 PHOTO BY KEVIN BRYAN/UVU REVIEW First baseman Stephanie Likos prepares to swing during a 2012 regular season game. Likos and the Wolverines had secured a 20-12-1 record heading into Friday's doubleheader against Northern Colorado. close games at the end and that can be attributed to a lot of things," Fairbourne said. "I was encouraged by a lot of the swings today. But the biggest trend is that we need to continue to get better offensively and make sure we stay strong when it gets a little tough late in the game." Despite the loss and lack of offense, Fairbourne thought they made the proper adjustments in order to put balls in playable positions. He also said he saw a lot of potential in his team and ways the team can succeed, one of which is pitcher Tiffany Mills. "I thought Mills, aside from the walks, pitched very, very well," Fairbourne said. "There is a lot of ability there and we just have to build off this and do what we can to take care of business." Mills currently holds a 2.25 ERA and sits at 10-8 on the season. As UVU prepares to play neighboring school Utah State on Tuesday, they will look to improving offensive plays along with growing their pitching position. "I think if the kids can figure it out, they would realize they're a pretty good ball club," Fairbourne said. "They did a lot of good things today, but it's about thinking ahead of time and knowing the situation." where' S What are your plans for your summer break? See far off places? Earn money for school? Why not do both! Come to Dillingham Alaska and work at our shore side salmon processing plant. CARRIAGE COVE Ti e Jobs run from mid June to the end of July or into August. Pay rate starts at $7.95/hour with overtime at $11.925 after 8 hours/day and after 40 regular hours/week. When in full swing processing shifts are approx. 16 hours/day. 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