Softball: Lincoln -- with five freshman starters -- makes stunning turnaround
Jerry Ulmer, The Oregonian, May 10, 2010 11:07 p.m.
With five freshmen in its starting lineup, Lincoln has made a startling about-face in Class 6A Portland Interscholastic League softball this season.
The Cardinals, 1-21 in 2009, are 15-2 heading into Tuesday's game against Benson. They are 7-2 in the PIL, battling Grant (8-2) and Wilson (6-2) for first place in the final week of league play.
Third-year coach Chris Gobel credits the development of a Lincoln ASA program for the turnaround. The program made its debut with two teams last year.
"There wasn't a lot of depth coming in," said Gobel, an insurance salesman. "There were Little League kids, then a major drop-off because they went their own ways. So we started an ASA program. The biggest key is having kids coming in ready to play. That's made the biggest difference for us."
It helps that two of the freshmen -- second baseman Morgan Ashton and shortstop Jenna Stanford -- played for the Oregon Thunder ASA state championship teams in 2006 and 2008. Ashton moved from catcher and Stanford from third base to solidify the middle of the defense.
The other freshman starters are third baseman Elena Schaefer, left fielder Laken Gobel and pitcher Molly Lamson. Senior catcher Jennie Archambault is the only starter who is not a freshman or sophomore.
"She's been the heart and soul of the team," Chris Gobel said of Archambault.
In league games, Archambault is batting .357 with a triple, a home run and five RBIs. Ashton (.353, five RBIs), Stanford (.412, seven RBIs), sophomore center fielder Natalie Mitchell (.400, three doubles) and sophomore first baseman Alexis Walker (.467, three doubles) also are a big reason Lincoln is batting .310 in league.
The team had high hopes for freshman pitcher Tori Muir, the sister of 2009 PIL player of the year Kylee Muir, a rookie assistant coach on the team.
Tori Muir helped the team to a 5-0 start but has not pitched since because of a pinched nerve in her neck.
"Tori is an amazing pitcher," Chris Gobel said. "We dominated in preseason because she was just pitching lights-out, 10-plus strikeouts a game. It's not an arm problem. She's been going to physical therapy, and they're hoping she'll be back to pitch in the summer."
In her absence, Lamson has pitched every inning. She has shown gradual improvement and threw a two-hitter in a 4-2 win over Grant on Thursday. The win avenged 7-6 and 8-7 losses to the Generals.
"It was a huge win," Chris Gobel said. "They stepped up and made some amazing plays."
Gobel had coached only Little League and Babe Ruth boys teams until taking over the Cardinals. The development of a feeder program appears to be paying off.
"Getting into this, I knew there was a need," he said. "I knew we had to develop something."
The Cardinals play Wilson on Thursday and Saturday in games that will have an impact on playoff positioning.
-- Jerry Ulmer
