By Brayden Nuessen

Consistency is what the Quincy University Lady Hawks are striving for in softball.

The Lady Hawks were picked preseason to finish twelfth in the conference. However, they are doing better than expected.

“Our team goal is that we are trying to be in the top eight, so we can play in May in the conference tournament,” Head Coach Carla Passini said.

The team currently has a 4-4 record while being 10-12 overall.

Senior Kaylee Jones thinks that the Lady Hawks’ teamwork and leadership are coming together, putting the team on a good path.

“I think that being an underdog gives us more motivation and strive to be better, and right now, we are sitting higher than we were picked, so it is great for us,” she said.

Emily Griskell and Lindsey Greene have been the team’s big performers this season.

Griskell is the team’s ace this year. She has a 7-5 record with a 3.78 ERA as well as 43 strikeouts in 14 games.

“I am very proud of Emily on how she has stepped up with the pitching, and her greatest strength is having a good head on her shoulders,” Passini said.

Greene is leading the team on offense in multiple categories.  She is currently hitting .338 with six home runs and 24 RBIs.

“She is a leader for us, and when we talk about consistency, that is what we are looking for,” Passini said.

Great chemistry is another big reason why the Lady Hawks have been successful so far this season.

“When we go out of town, one of the greatest things we do is team bonding and we really come together,” Jones said.

The Lady Hawks started the year in Florida when the team spent a week in Clermont and St.Petersburg where they made a lot of memories.

Junior Abby Burton said that her favorite memory from this season is from Florida, where the team went on a four-game winning steak after going through a rough patch.

In addition to Greene, Burton is also playing a big role on the offense side as she is hitting .338 while being third on the team with 21 hits and second on the team in RBIs with 13.

After splitting series multiple weekends in a row, the Lady Hawks are looking for a big breakthrough in the road trip ahead.

“We have six great opportunities to go out and play better than .500 and hopefully get a sweep on a day or two” Passini said.

The Lady Hawks will continue their road trip playing three straight double headers starting Saturday, April 1 at Missouri S&T. They will also play two games on Sunday, April 2 at Drury and finish the road trip playing two games at Truman State on Tuesday, April 4.

The next home game is a double header on Saturday, April 8 at noon.