Maricopa softball 9-6 midway thru season (video)

After a slow start to the season, the Maricopa High School softball team has shaken off the cobwebs to post a winning record at the midway point in the 2016 season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AD9Ztq7ilY

Two three-game winning streaks have given them a 9-6 record. They have outscored opponents 130-68.
 
Coach Brandi Howell is carrying eight seniors this season with high expectations.

Grouped together, she said, the senior look like the whole team.

“And that’s good,” Howell said. “I see them stepping up and taking that leadership role, which is good to see. In practice, you see them passing things on to the younger girls, which is awesome.”

In one three-game stretch, the Rams outscored opponents 51-4. The second three-game win gave then the championship in their home Kristen Diehl Tournament.

Offense has not been a problem lately, with the entire lineup making good contact. But there are some weaknesses in other areas.

“They’ve just got to put the whole game together,” Howell said. “They know. Without anyone telling them, they’ll say ‘Our early innings are killing us.’”

The Rams seemed to get past that in a slugfest with Marcos de Niza on Wednesday, but they lost in the final inning 13-12. Pitching did not hold up, and errors in the field were also costly.

Most of Maricopa’s losses have been close, while several of its victories have been blowouts. How that sets up the second half of the season is up to the girls’ mental toughness. The coach said the team is approaching it as a new season.

“We still want to make the playoffs,” Howell said.

Next up for Maricopa is a home game against Youngker, which is 4-4. The Rams also have a home game Tuesday against Coolidge, 0-8.