By Hayden Ashby
Last Wednesday, April 9, the Pellissippi State Panthers softball team (6-31) faced the Chattanooga State Tigers (37-6) in two back-to-back games, losing both despite giving it their best shot.
The first game ended in a 15-1 loss, and the second game ended in a 15-4 loss. The Tigers, a very rambunctious team in the dugout, played a mental game on top of just softball, while the Panthers remained stoic and kept their composure throughout the games, focusing on improving both individually and as a team.
In an interview following Game 2, center fielder Anna Burleson stated,
“I feel like we definitely could have done better than what we did. We kind of came into the game not really ready to play. But I feel like we started playing together towards the end of the second game, so I think it definitely got better with our energy.”
And that was definitely the case. The Panthers scored three runs in quick succession in the third inning of the second game, showcasing their talent and giving a glimpse of what they could be capable of later this season and into the next. In the end, their efforts were simply not enough against Chattanooga’s well-established softball program.
With only a few games remaining in the season, the Panthers are looking to the future. Center fielder Anna Burleson later stated,
“We haven’t had the best season, but every game our stats get better. We get better on defense and offense. Next game, I think we’re just going to…make less defensive errors. I would say we definitely have improved throughout the season. All of our stats have gotten better. Our defensive percentage has gotten better. We’ve had less strikeouts, so I think we’re definitely getting better as a team.”
Panthers head coach Meredith Smith added,
“I think this season has been very hard just being a first-year program, but we’ve shown improvement consistently throughout the season and I think that we’ve definitely gotten better over the course of the year. The expectation was really just not a win-loss, but more of an improvement and building a culture and a program.”
The Panthers aren’t necessarily looking to win, but rather playing the long game — improving and honing their skills with each passing day to build a powerful, competitive softball team at Pellissippi State. The Panthers have a bye week this week and are preparing themselves for their next opponent: Motlow State (at Motlow State) April 19 and 20.
