I was stunned to see Sydney Campbell of Oakland surrender no fewer than nine runs against Robert Morris on Friday – including eight in the top of the seventh inning, which the Golden Grizzlies had entered with a 3-1 lead. Perhaps just as startling was the fact that all nine of the runs were unearned, as the Grizzlies committed four errors: three of them in that disastrous seventh. I felt especially for shortstop Jenna Johnston, not only because she committed two of the miscues in that frame and was visibly deeply upset even before the Colonials parlayed them into their sudden offensive explosion, but also because TV kept giving us isolation shots of her throughout the inning, as though to signify (falsely) that she was responsibly, solely, for all of the bad that had happened. This is a cliched holdover from baseball broadcasting which I feel has no real place in our game, particularly when “our” broadcasts are so mistake-riddled themselves and no one is in a position to throw stones. I would gladly take Jenna as my shortstop into the seventh inning of any game, were I protecting a lead – just as I’d take Sydney in the circle, even after having watched her throw a couple of uncharacteristically fat pitches with runners on base, culminating in a batting-practice special to third basewoman Alaina Koutsogiani which Alaina crushed to left-centre for a two-run triple to put an exclamation point on the Colonials’ comeback. It’s a reminder that even great ballplayers make mistakes. And of course those mistakes have to be cashed in by the opponent, or they’ll fade instantaneously into insignificance. I’d much rather give Robert Morris the credit that’s due them and look forward to Sydney, Jenna, and the other Grizzlies bouncing back, as I’m pretty sure they will.
One (similarly skilled, and sultry) Campbell who had a good weekend, keying an eight-run inning by her own ballclub, was Utah Tech catcher Rachel Campbell, who took a great, tough bases-loaded at-bat against Jessica Adams of Texas-Arlington before depositing a pitch over the left-field fence for a grand slam that made a 4-0 lead an 8-0 bulge and put the Trailblazers well on their way to a 15-1, five-inning victory. I love, love, love to watch Jessica pitch, but she obviously struggled in this one against a very tough (and very patient) offensive team. Attlyn Johnston pitched another great game for the Trailblazers – which made first basewoman Lindsey Franklin’s solo homer off her all the more impressive. As you know, I always root for big-bodied beauties (being a rather big-bodied non-beauty myself), and Lindsey is one of the most beautiful of them all, and that homer was crushed.
Speaking of Texas lovelies, I finally got to see Daryn Grams pitch for Sam Houston; she’s been in something like twenty-three games, but I had managed to miss them all until the other night. Unfortunately, the team she pitched against (in relief) was eleventh-ranked Texas A&M, and no one had an especially good evening for the Bearkats, least of all their pitchers. The final score ended up being 11-0, and Daryn looked fairly shellshocked by the end of her inning. I hope I’ll get another chance to see her, and I wish she was still calling her own pitches, because that really, really turned me on.
I had not seen Dayton yet this year, and I enjoyed their game with Saint Bonaventure a great deal (the broadcast was pretty good too). Sarah Bailitz was simply superb in the circle for the Flyers, pitching a 6-0 shutout and helping her own cause with a number of fine defensive plays as well. The Bonnies are struggling quite badly this season, with only three wins, but I was especially impressed with their lovely, poised pitcher Emily Phelan, who has lost something like eighteen of nineteen decisions this year but still kept her head held high, despite some rocky defence behind her, and gave her team a chance throughout against a very good ballclub.
Conchetta Rinaldi is still catching Sophie Howell for the Youngstown State squad, which means that much is still right with the world. The Penguins beat Bowling Green, 4-2, in the game I saw – or saw in part, because another thing that never seems to change is that the Youngstown broadcasts are wretched. But I was glad to get a look at Sophie and Conchetta, whom I’ve always numbered among my favourite Horizon League players.
Callie Meinel didn’t get in the game for Evansville when I saw them play Indiana State, but the Purple Aces managed to win anyway, 3-0, behind a great pitching performance by Sydney Weatherford, and I got to see Callie a couple of times between innings, which was nice. Adorable second basewoman Abi Chipps had two of the three hits off Sydney for the Sycamores. Meanwhile, congratulations to the ‘Roos of Missouri-Kansas City, who notched a very nice road win over Kansas, 4-1, behind three hits from Abby Husak and fine pitching by Katie Noble and Camryn Stickel. Texas-San Antonio also pulled off a real nice surprise, Clark, beating Incarnate Word on the road, 7-6, thanks to a game-winning homer from another adorable second basewoman, Jaylen Prichard.
We began this column with a note on Sydney Campbell; it’s so unusual to see her get shelled that I felt almost compelled to. But we’ll end it by honouring three more of the week’s finest pitching performances. Ellen Palya of Radford pitched a four-hit shutout as the Highlanders, on their Senior Day, beat East Tennessee State, 4-0. For Texas A&M, it was Shaylee Ackerman who stymied Sam Houston, 11-0, pitching six shutout innings, allowing but two hits and striking out five. And the greatest pitching performance I had the privilege of seeing this week came courtesy of Sejal Neas of Appalachian State, who carried a perfect game into the sixth against Western Carolina (Taylor Waitley singled to break it up) and ended up twirling a one-hit, one-walk, eight-strikeout gem as the Mountaineers defeated the Catamounts, 5-0. Congratulations to all, and thank you for the many rich pleasures you’ve given us this week and throughout the season.
G'night Gracie 
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