One of the ways that you could measure the effectiveness of Sydney Romero as a hitter last year was how few times she struck out----four. In 211 at bats, she was able to make contact in every at bat except four. This means that she was able to drive runs in or move runners up. She didn't just leave them stranded as she struck out. Others were striking out twenty or thirty times. She did a simple job. She made contact.
Last year, we also had a problem with our pitching, other than Paige Parker. They simply lacked control. Even staked to a seven-run lead against Auburn, they were so likely to walk hitters or hit batters that no lead was safe. We lost the game. Nobody had sufficient control to put on the mound in a critical game other than Parker. We essentially forfeited the second game against Auburn in order to give Paige enough rest to be able to pitch the title game.
This year, someone got the message. We have a new number that is just as staggering as the four strikeouts in a season for Sydney. We have the number three. After pitching in ten games, seven of them starts, Maria Lopez has issued only three walks. She has pitched thirty-five innings (five games) and allowed twenty-one hits and nine runs. This isn't bad. This is a 1.80 ERA. But, the stunning number is that she has thirty-nine strikeouts and only three walks. She also hit a batter. How does that compare? Parker is known for her control, and she has permitted 11 walks in 64.2 innings. Maria has issued 0.60 walks per seven innings. Paige has 1.20 walks per seven innings.
If you wonder why Lopez is getting a lot of starts, she throws strikes. That means that she isn't putting a bunch of runners on base so that a single can score them. She makes the other team earn its runs.
She has only allowed nine runs. Seven of those were due to three home runs: a solo shot and two three-run shots. She allowed a three-run home run in relief against Mississippi in Houston and five runs, punctuated by a three-run home run against North Carolina State (we won 7-5, and Maria got the win). Since then, a solo shot by Western Kentucky is the only run that anyone scored.
Maria last issued a walk on February 18 against Houston. She has had five starts (six games) and pitched 25.2 innings since last giving up a base on balls. Wonder why she is 7-0 for the year?
Last year, we also had a problem with our pitching, other than Paige Parker. They simply lacked control. Even staked to a seven-run lead against Auburn, they were so likely to walk hitters or hit batters that no lead was safe. We lost the game. Nobody had sufficient control to put on the mound in a critical game other than Parker. We essentially forfeited the second game against Auburn in order to give Paige enough rest to be able to pitch the title game.
This year, someone got the message. We have a new number that is just as staggering as the four strikeouts in a season for Sydney. We have the number three. After pitching in ten games, seven of them starts, Maria Lopez has issued only three walks. She has pitched thirty-five innings (five games) and allowed twenty-one hits and nine runs. This isn't bad. This is a 1.80 ERA. But, the stunning number is that she has thirty-nine strikeouts and only three walks. She also hit a batter. How does that compare? Parker is known for her control, and she has permitted 11 walks in 64.2 innings. Maria has issued 0.60 walks per seven innings. Paige has 1.20 walks per seven innings.
If you wonder why Lopez is getting a lot of starts, she throws strikes. That means that she isn't putting a bunch of runners on base so that a single can score them. She makes the other team earn its runs.
She has only allowed nine runs. Seven of those were due to three home runs: a solo shot and two three-run shots. She allowed a three-run home run in relief against Mississippi in Houston and five runs, punctuated by a three-run home run against North Carolina State (we won 7-5, and Maria got the win). Since then, a solo shot by Western Kentucky is the only run that anyone scored.
Maria last issued a walk on February 18 against Houston. She has had five starts (six games) and pitched 25.2 innings since last giving up a base on balls. Wonder why she is 7-0 for the year?
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