The women’s fast pitch softball team at the University of Cincinnati’s Clermont College really turned it on after a slow start to the regular season.

The Cougars turned things close to completely upside down. They finished their Ohio College Athletic Conference (OCAC) schedule with a 4-8 record that earned the team third place. They were 5-9 overall.

Then came the conference tournament and the Red and Black improved to league runner-up in the post-conference schedule OCAC Tournament.

They concluded the 2010 campaign with a more respectable record of 11-13.

“We were playing and thinking positive at the end of the season. They really put it together,” said Dan Kinney, head coach of the Cougars.

With class, exams, and work schedules, Kinney had problems gathering his entire team together for games, but when the conference tournament took place “everybody made it.”

Having his entire talented roster together made all the difference in the tournament.

The Red and Black began with a 4-0 loss to Clark State University, but they recovered to clobber Ohio Christian University 21-0 in five innings. They proceeded to defeat Southern State University, the regular-season conference champions, 6-4 before losing again to Clark State 2-1.

Several of the Clermont College contingent played well enough to be recognized by being selected to the all-tournament team. Right hand pitcher Jessica Drees was selected to the first team. On the second team were left fielder Jessica Conners and first base, outfielder, left hand pitcher Amber Thompson, and honorable mention choices were Sarah Stratman at third base and Danielle Kidwell at catcher.

For the season, the leading hitters were Conners with a .453 average and 14 runs scored and eight stolen bases; Melanie Vagedes with a .450 average and two triples; Drees with a .404 average, 22 runs batted in, six doubles, and eight stolen bases; Thompson with a .391 average; Stratman with a .386 average, 19 runs scored, 19 runs batted in, and six doubles; and Taylor McDonald, Kidwell, and Brittany Neal with the respective hitting averages of .367, .355, and .321.

The best performances turned in by the defense, according to their coach, were achieved by Neal at shortstop, Vagedes in centerfield, and Kidwell behind the plate.

The most outstanding pitcher was Drees who sported a 2.11 earned run average and had five victories and struck out 34 adversaries.

“The future should be very good. We should have a lot of good talent coming back next year,” Kinney concluded.

The Clermont College roster included freshman outfielder Ashley Allen, a Bethel-Tate High School graduate; freshman outfielder Lindsay Dean, a Williamsburg High grad; freshman pitcher and first base Kelsi Hall, a Williamsburg High grad; freshman outfielder and second base Lauren Hammock, a Batavia High grad; freshman catcher Katt Lewis, a Glen Este High grad; sophomore pitcher and shortstop Brittany Neal, a Bethel-Tate High grad; sophomore outfielder and first base Jody Skeen, a Glen Este High grad; freshman pitcher and first base Amber Thompson, a New Richmond High grad; freshman pitcher and first base Sammi Weber, a Bethel-Tate High grad; freshman pitcher and shortstop Jessica Drees, a Troy High grad; freshman outfielder and catcher Jessica Conners, an Oak Hills High grad; sophomore third base and second base Sarah Stratman, a Western Pike High grad; junior outfielder Allison Hibner, a Vandalia Butler High grad; junior second base and third base Taylor McDonald, a Fischer Catholic High grad; freshman outfielder Kelsey Penquite, a Dayton Fairmont High grad; and junior catcher and first base Danielle Kidwell, a Hillsboro High grad.

The Red and Black’s academic advisor was Peggy Hager, an associate professor of mathematics at Clermont College who is a member of the college’s athletic hall of fame and a Glen Este High School graduate.