SOFTBALL PREVIEW: HART FACES TOUGH CHOICE; 4 PITCHERS BATTLE FOR TIME.Byline: Rizza Rizza (population est. 1,000) is a town in Villafranca di Verona's common. - Rizza is a name derived from the Spanish word "Risa" meaning laughter Yap Daily News Staff Writer An influx of new talent has Hart High softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' coach Al Weil feeling both excited and concerned. With several players competing for the same spots, the team's level of play is sure to improve, but it also means extra careful calculating so each athlete receives adequate time on the field. Hart this season features 17 players - all talented, Weil said, all of them potential starters. Each member will get a chance to play, he said, but he is particularly concerned about dividing playing time among the pitchers. Weil, who usually works with two pitchers each season, welcomed four this year. Sophomores Amanda Fortune and Bridgette Colleran are back, and freshmen Lindsey Kontra and Casey Pickard are newcomers. Fortune served as starting pitcher Noun 1. starting pitcher - (baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; last season and compiled a 21-7 overall and 6-3 Foothill League record. Colleran, as backup, was 2-2, 1-0. ``Never have we had so many pitchers at one time, (and until now) it has always been pretty clear who the dominant pitcher was,'' said Weil, in his 13th year. ``Amanda really hasn't lost her position. She knew she'd have to come out smoking this year because of the competition, and frankly, she has. ``But everyone should get a chance to get pitching time soon. It's an impossible task for a coach to give four pitchers as much time as they would like, but we'll try to get as much in during the preseason.'' Sophomore Megan Patrick and freshman Sara Dean also have been splitting time as catchers Catchers was an Irish Indie Pop band formed in 1993 and led by singer-songwriter Dale Grundle. The band consisted of Dale Grundle (vocals/guitar), Alice Lemon (vocals/keyboards), Peter Kelly (drums), Ger FitzGerald (bass, until 1995), Craig Carpenter (bass, 1996 onwards) and . Patrick started several games last year and has an exceptionally strong arm, while Dean looks to be one of the top freshman catchers to ever play for Hart, Weil said. The Indians INDIANS. The aborigines of this country are so called. 2. In general, Indians have no political rights in the United States; they cannot vote at the general elections for officers, nor hold office. are 5-1 after finishing as runners-up in their 16-team Hart Softball Tournament. Fortune is 4-0, including a tourney-opening win in which she allowed four hits and struck out 10. (Last season, she led her team to its first Hart tourney tourney: see tournament. title in years and earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.) Kontra, who pitched the tournament championship game against Highland, is 1-1. She allowed just two hits in a 1-0 loss to the Highlanders. Weil said Fortune, as he expected, is showing better command at the pitcher's circle. She has displayed more speed, allowed less walks and continues to be a hard worker. ``Amanda has always been very mature, never rattled rat·tle 1 v. rat·tled, rat·tling, rat·tles v.intr. 1. a. To make or emit a quick succession of short percussive sounds. b. , very consistent,'' Weil said. ``As a freshman she pitched like a junior or senior as far as maturity. You just couldn't tell whether she was having a good or bad day. This year, her movement and speed have picked up nicely, as you would expect from a sophomore.'' Instead of looking ahead to a league championship or the playoffs, Weil said his team's primary focus is for each member to reach her potential. Optimism is emphasized, as is self-confidence. So far, the strategy seems to be working. The squad, as a whole, already is hitting better, averaging just two strikeouts per game. With continued progress, this team may just be able to win its first league title since 1992. Hart features 11 returners, including four seniors. First baseman Anna Nordhagen and her cousin, Kellie Nordhagen, are four-year letterwinners. Center fielder Courtney Sherlock A Macintosh utility starting with Version 8.5 of the operating system that provides a common facility for searching the local hard disk, the local network and the Internet. moved up to varsity as a freshman after starting that season at the junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. level, and Nicolette Weinstein last year was a transfer student out of Culver City Culver City, city (1990 pop. 38,793), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles; inc. 1917. It is a center of the U.S. motion-picture industry, whose roots in the city date to c.1915. Its chief manufactures are rubber products and computers. . The Indians also welcome five freshmen this year - pitchers Pickard and Kontra, catcher Dean, and outfielders Stacy Holbrook and Kristin Lueke. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1) Hart's softball pitcher Amanda Fortune leads a group of four pitchers on the Indians' team. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News (2) PATRICK (3) DEAN |
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