After a quick stop for some fast food, we’re on the road back to Portland. It’s going to be a longer bus ride because we let another winnable game slip out of our grasp. Whitworth did what they are suppose to do: win a home series. It would have been great to take today’s game from them, but that’s not always how it works out in this game.
So instead of leaving Washington with a pair of wins, we’re asking all the questions you normally ask after a loss. However, a quick glance at the score board will tell you all you need to know. Our normally reliable defense made 4 errors on the springboard that is Whitworth’s infield. Those mistakes translated into 4 unearned runs, and there’s the difference in the game.
We are now done playing half of our conference opponents. Our NWC record stands at 4-8; in four weekends we have won one out of the three contests, hardly an accomplishment we can revel in.
However, any team’s goal is to improve over the course of the season. The teams at the top hope to get hot at the right time so they are running on all gears when the playoffs start. Teams in the middle aim to string together wins at the end of the season in order to secure a wild card or at-large bid. And teams below that try to win so they can end their season on a positive note and have something to carry over to the next year.
So, with our guys on spring break and two non-conference games scheduled for this week, it’s a good time to evaluate where we are and what we want to accomplish through our remaining games. Also, non-conference games are important because we can rearrange our lineup while still putting a squad on the field that we believe can earn us a win.
The coaching staff will review our stats and make some adjustments to practices, because of course when you are losing more than you win you have to make some changes.
Bottom line: we’re exhausted. Win or lose, traveling across states takes a lot out of everyone. And no matter what adjustments we need to make, we can’t do much until we play again on Tuesday. Tomorrow’s a day off, which during the season means a chance for our student-athletes to catch up on their academics. For now, though, there’s nothing to do but take in a few sights out the window, watch a few movies, and try to turn the page so we’re ready to go when our time to play comes again.
