You don’t want to bet on what the lineup for the Lawrence University softball team is going to be from day to day because the odds of picking the right one are slightly better than winning the Powerball.
The Vikings have used 10 different lineups in their 14 games this season, a product of the versatility of the players and a search for a winning combination.
“If you sit and study the box scores, the lineups have changed quite a bit. We knew that was going to be the case going into the season,” Lawrence coach Kim Tatro said.
“We’re trying to figure out which lineup makes us most effective. As crazy as this may sound, because of the youth of the team and the versatility of the players, it may fluctuate as we go through the season.”
No player has batted in the same spot in the lineup in every game this season. To point out just how much things vary from game to game, the Vikings have had seven different players hit in the seventh spot in the lineup.
“I don’t know that we’ll develop the continuity we’ve had in previous years where it was here’s the lineup and you know what it is,” Tatro said. “I hope we can settle on something and run with it.”
The 13 players have seen action this season with a minimum of five games played but only six players have started all 14 games.
While Lawrence knew it had young but talented players returning, the Vikings have also received solid contributions from a number of freshmen. Former Manitowoc Roncalli star Cory Paquette, Alissa Geipel, Alex Chiodo and Brielle Bartes have all had key moments in games thus far this season. That means Tatro has options, and the Vikings take on a different look each time they take the field.
“We have people waiting in the wings to get opportunities and they deserve the opportunity if the people in those positions aren’t performing,” Tatro said.
Senior shortstop Carli Gurholt, a former star at Amherst High School, has been powering the offense with a team-high .452 batting average to go along with seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 14 runs batted in.
“Carli is hitting the ball a ton right now and we need her to do that,” Tatro said.
Sophomore Shannon Murray is hitting .409 with a team-high 15 RBI and has a team-high three victories on the mound. Junior Emily Perish has been Murray’s counterpart on the mound and is hitting .351 with 11 RBI.
Sophomore and Sturgeon Bay native Cathy Kaye also broke through on Monday at Alverno College, where she went 6-for-9 in the doubleheader with two doubles, two homers and five RBI. She raised her average 77 points on Monday to .333.
“Emily and Cathy have stepped it up a little bit and we need that. We need balanced production,” Tatro said. “Everyone needs to pull their weight offensively.”
The Vikings are hitting .288 as a team heading into this weekend’s Midwest Conference Classic in Janesville. Lawrence will face the five South Division teams over the course of two days, and the Vikings need a solid showing after dropping a pair of games to Beloit College to open conference play.
“You can throw the records out the window,” Tatro said of playing in the MWC Classic. “I think everybody has played a different schedule so it’s about who you’re going to match up with. Will it be their No. 1 against your No. 3 or whatever.
“It’s a game of momentum. If you open up and hit well and you get on a roll, that can carry over. Conversely, the other thing can happen if you struggle in the opening game.”
Streak snapped
Freshman Luke Barthelmess had his 14-game hit streak snapped when he went 0-for-4 in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader with Monmouth College. Barthlemess is hitting .321 on the season with a homer and four RBI.
Sophomore Davide Harris has an eight-game hit streak currently after picking up three hits in the doubleheader against Monmouth.
Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.