Softball

Pack looking for revenge against Pirates

After a heartbreaking loss to ECU in the first match up, Wolfpack look to even up season series 

Will Privette

Staff Writer

The Wolfpack (20-19) (3-9 ACC) wants to get a sour taste out of its mouth and it will have the chance to on tonight. On March 18 the Pack lost in extra innings, 5-0 at the hands of the East Carolina Pirates at Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Stadium. The Wolfpack just wants to think of the last match-up as a nightmare and looks to overcome and focus on defeating the in-state rival. The task will not be easy as the Pirates (29-11) are red hot, having won 14 of their last 16 games.

According to junior catcher/third baseman Claudia Cooper, the non-conference game will be more passionate than others as East Carolina is a large in-state rival.

“With it being ECU, with the in-state rivalry, it’s always going to be a little more heated than some of our other games,” Cooper said. “We have to lay off the pitches that are out of the zone and hit the ones that are our pitches and I think we’ll be alright.”

Cooper, who usually alternates between the hot corner and behind the plate, will likely be the designated hitter for coach Lisa Navas to give the Wolfpack the best line up possible. The junior did not get into action last time against ECU but is ready for the challenge.

“I’m going to try and see the ball down,” Cooper said. “With my approach I’m going to try and get ahead in the count and hit her first pitch strike; therefore she won’t have to throw that rifle to me so I won’t go fishing for it. I just want to be aggressive early in the count and try and get ahead of her before she gets ahead of me.”

Sophomore catcher Alyssa Allbritten said that the team as a whole needs to string some timely hits together, something that was not apparent last time.

“What we are going to do different is hit the ball a lot more,” Allbritten said. “We really need to hit the ball a lot and hit the ball really well. That’s the one thing we definitely need to do different.”

Freshman outfielder Hannah Ojeda, who leads the team with a .277 batting average, said she is excited and ready for their upcoming bout in Greenville but she is not going to change her approach against the hated Pirates.

“We are just going to try and jump on them early instead of trying to wait,” Ojeda said. “My approach is just to be aggressive and try and get on base. If we just string some hits together for the game and we’ll be good.”