UC Clermont's Regan Inlow is congratulated in the circle by her teammates after striking out a batter in the Lady Cougars' win over Penn State Greater Allegheny on Sunday, March 19, 2017.

UC Clermont's Regan Inlow is congratulated in the circle by her teammates after striking out a batter in the Lady Cougars' win over Penn State Greater Allegheny on Sunday, March 19, 2017.

By Garth Shanklin
Sports Editor

The University of Cincinnati Clermont Lady Cougars’ softball team began the 2017 season this past weekend with one goal in mind: returning to the national championship.

The team last made it to the tournament two years ago, placing seventh overall. Last season’s team couldn’t replicate that success, as other commitments often left the squad short-handed, according to head coach Dan Kinney.

“We started out with high hopes, but it kind of went downhill from there,” Kinney said. “They work and with school and all that we started out the season heading down south to play our first six or eight games. One of our starting pitchers couldn’t make the trip, and we knew from then on we were going to be in trouble. It wasn’t one of our best seasons. Too many people missing and they couldn’t make the commitment. So far we’ve had good turnout.”

The turnout has been solid despite the weather, which has not been cooperative to start the season. The team was originally scheduled to start the year with games against Miami Middletown and Goshen College, but weather changed those plans. Of the first 10 scheduled games of the season, the Lady Cougars have played in just four, all of which came March 18 and 19 against Penn State Greater Allegheny.

“That’s the way it was last year too,” Kinney said. “In the last two years, we’ve only gotten to play three home games in Batavia township. Most of our games are on the road, which went against us right away.”

One thing that did go the Lady Cougars’ way was the development of their catching duo. Sophomore Molly Murphy hit .436 last season in 39 at-bats for the Lady Cougars, collecting the team’s only two home runs. She is joined this season by Maggie Block, an Amelia grad who started her career with eight hits in her first 15 at-bats against PSU-Allegheny.

“They’re going to be the big hitters,” Kinney said. “They both seem to make contact all the time.”

Another offensive weapon is senior Brittany Freson, who hit .500 for the Lady Cougars in 2016. Freson also led the team with six steals.

“She’s a terror on the bases,” Kinney said. “I don’t know why teams don’t walk her instead of pitching to her. She’s so quick. She’s an excellent bunter, she gets on probably 90 percent of the time.”

In the circle, Madison Taber returns for the Lady Cougars. Taber won two games with an ERA of just 2.90 for the team last season and two years ago Taber picked up 12 wins for the Lady Cougars.

She’s off to a solid start in 2016, earning victories in two of the four games against PSU-Allegheny. In the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, March 19, Taber struck out 13 batters in a 1-0, eight-inning victory.

“She anchors our staff,” Kinney said. “She throws strikes, she’s always around the plate. I don’t remember her walking anyone in either game over the weekend. She pitched 13 innings over the weekend and didn’t walk a batter.”

The Lady Cougars boast a roster that is filled with both local talent and pitching. The team boasts five pitchers on the roster, though all of them play secondary positions. Eastern Brown’s Regan Inlow and Taber both play third base and Block is a first baseman. Junior Carsen Gerome (McNicholas) and Cassidy Devore (Bethel-Tate) are outfielders.

The team is also filled with local athletes. In addition to Devore, freshman Jessica Cahill went to Bethel-Tate.

Sophomores Bethany Perkins, McKayla Jacobs and Kaitlyn Clark called Felicity home, while Abbie Flanigan is from Milford. Megan McCarthy is a Batavia grad, and junior outfielder/second baseman Bri Stacy graduated from Western Brown in 2014.

The team enters this season with the same goal they usually do: return to the national championship tournament.

“We always set our goals to get back to the nationals,” Kinney said. “We finally got back there two years ago, that’s the goal we set this year. WE went up two years ago and finished seventh out of ten teams. We won two games. I think we had some jitters in the first game, we went back and beat the team that beat us earlier.”

One thing that is not on the table for the team this season is a conference championship. The Lady Cougars participate in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association but are not in a conference.

“We’re not actually in a league, so we can’t set a goal to win the league each year,” Kinney said.“The team we played over the weekend was a USCAA team, so that should help us in the polls when they come out.”