Lady Lions Back in Den

By Ashley Wolfe

After five years on the road, the RVCC Lady Lions are home at last! The women’s softball team finally has a home field that has been beautifully readied for the 2006 season.
On Tuesday, March 28, the Lady Lion will hold their first home game on campus in five years against Middlesex Community College. All members of the college community are invited to attend the 3 p.m. game.

“The newly built RVCC softball field is a welcome site,” said Coach Bill Harnden. “Being on the road for almost all of the previous five years was tough on the players. The college board of directors and administrative team worked hard to make the field a reality for these student athletes.”

In the past, the women have played all their games on the road. This took a lot of the players: leave at noon or earlier to get to the game on time, then stay in the van till late at night. As a result of these long trips, though, the girls grew closer as a team and as friends. With the help of Coach Harnden and Assistant Coach Nancy Hartrum, the women always kept a positive attitude about the situation.

The Lady Lions softball team is in full gear preparing for their season opener on Saturday, March 25, at Salem Community College in Pennsylvania. The team practices Tuesday through Friday working hard on their hitting and fielding mechanics. With only one returning player, Coaches Harnden and Hartrum have been preparing the new players for the upcoming season.

This year’s team will consist of 11 players. According to Harnden, the infield duties will be assigned to Ashley Wolfe, Megan Doherty, Erica Laneville, Jessica Harnden and Samantha Thomas. In the outfield are Jessica Miller, Debra Binder, Jackie Bunner and Janine Omar, with Thomas and Laneville serving as alternates. The team’s battery will consist of Jorgina Fis at catcher and Sarah Ortman pitching, with Doherty backing her up.

“The girls have come a long way and simply saying they are working extremely hard together would be an understatement. Their work ethic, hitting and speed will be the strength of this year’s team,” said Harnden.

The week prior to the start of the season, the team will travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for spring training. To get there, Harnden, who resurrected the program six years ago, has raised money every year conducting softball clinics with local clubs on Sundays during the fall and spring sessions.

In Myrtle Beach, the team will conduct practices in the City of Conway Softball Complex. Two-a-day practice sessions will be the normal training diet for the players. In addition to softball training Coach Harnden also conducts team building and life skill exercises to give each player a well rounded experience. These countless volunteer hours and his dedication to the team have made this program a great collegiate experience for his players.