Tim Kelly
Published: October 8, 2008

DUBUQUE- 50 Degrees isn’t exactly softball weather, but the Duhawk Softball team has been working hard this fall.

“We’ve been going harder at it this fall. Some of us seniors have been running practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We’ve gotten pretty good workouts in too,” said senior captain Kim Chalekian.

The hard work will be much needed as the Duhawks lose all conference pitcher Kate Earleywine, but head coach Kate Koopman is still optimistic about her team’s chances.

“You know, the Iowa Conference is one of the toughest conferences in the nation, but I expect us to finish around the top half and be as competitive as we were last year,” Koopman stated.

The Duhawks pride themselves on being an aggressive team that capitalizes on the opportunities presented to them.

“We just try to stay positive and get the lead runners in,” Chalekian added.

Tim Kelly can be reached at Timothy.Kelly@loras.edu

DUBUQUE - When asked about her strengths sophomore pitcher Kate Earlywine keeps it short.

“I think I’m hardworking and positive on the diamond,” says Earlywine.

Ask her teammates about her, and they cannot stop talking.

“Kate is one of those people who never get down; she is a great kid and she works really hard each and every day,” says senior captain Stacy Bahl. “She is always trying to hit her spots; she always tries to hit her corners when she needs to,” adds junior catcher Kim Chalekian.

Her teammates say she always has a positive attitude and can get big strikeouts when they are most needed. That has led to Kate breaking her own record

“I broke the record for the most strikeouts in a game,” says Kate.

Those big strikeouts have led to over 200 hitters leaving the batter’s box empty handed. This season Kate broke the record for the most career strike outs, giving her the most of any pitcher in Loras history.

These numbers are not the focus of this sophomore’s game.

“I just love the lessons you can learn from being an athlete and playing sports,” says Kate.

Hard work, teamwork, and discipline are just a few of the things that Kate attributes to her time spent on the playing field. Add all those together and she has two records and a whole lot of respect; especially from her catcher.

“She is out there in the middle of that circle, all alone pitching every pitch,” says catcher Kim Chalekian.

That is not how Kate sees it. In fact, she throws the credit right back at her teammates.

“A lot of the credit goes to my teammates, especially to my catchers; they are calling pitches every game so I do not think people realize how much work they put in,” says Kate.

In a sport where even small mistakes can decide the game; Kate’s contribution makes a big difference.

Lauren Squires can be reached at Lauren.Squires@lctv13.com

DUBUQUE - Sara Medieros has been playing softball since before she could read, and she was still playing as a Duhawk when she received some life-altering news last spring. The announcement that she was pregnant at the end of last season surprised everyone, including her head coach.

“It was very shocking,” said Coach Koopman, “I didn’t really know that she wasn’t feeling very well or anything. She didn’t let me see that part of her”

Sara was concerned her softball career was over for good, but Koopman assured her it didn’t have to end.

“She sat me down and was like ‘we’ll work this out, we’ll figure something out.’ And so I went to practice and they kind of pulled me out of any drills where I could get nailed with a ball or anything and I just was like ‘I’m going to make it work’,” the Loras senior recalled.

By November, Sara was forced to take some time off. Four weeks later she was given an early Christmas present with the birth of her child, Mya Elizabeth on December 24^th.

Six weeks later, practice began and Sara was back on the field, same as always. The mother of one was happy to be playing the game she loved, but she realized she couldn’t have done it without a little help from the people around her.

“I’ve had a lot of help from all my different communities that I’m a part of. I’ve had a lot of support from my softball team; I mean there’s not been one person who hasn’t helped me out in some way or another.”

So maybe the old adage is true. Maybe it does take a village to raise a child, or in Sara and Mya’s case, maybe just a softball team.

Katrina Berning can be reached at Katrina.Berning@loras.edu