Even though the softball team will be on the road today for a doubleheader against Elon, coach Lisa Navas said N.C. State plans to bring home its first-ever win against Elon Wednesday afternoon.
“Like every game, I expect to win,” Navas said. “We haven’t done that well against them. I think we’re a completely different team than we have been in the past, so it’ll be a good battle.”
Without a win against Elon, State is 0-4 since its inaugural season. Sophomore infielder Lisa Nentwig said the difference this year will be teamwork and communication.
“We didn’t really work together,” Nentwig said. “We’d get a few hits here and there, but now we’re actually all pulling together and coming together as a team, getting the little things done.”
Navas said the team will treat the game just like any other non-conference game.
“It’s not more important than any other game,” Navas said.
“It’s somebody who’s beaten us every time. We’ve come to play but we haven’t come with the intensity that we need to, and I think the kids are ready for the challenge that’s ahead of us.”
This year, junior catcher Jennifer Patterson has no doubt that State can come through with a win.
“Our key thing is to be playing Wolfpack softball, not Elon softball, not to let them control the game, for us to take care of what we can control and to just carry that all the way through,” Patterson said.
“We have a tendency to do that. We get runs on the board and we’re like, we’re ahead, we’re just going to kind of coast through. [We need to] just keep putting the pressure to play our game, not to stoop to anybody else’s level.”
Defense has been a major strength this season, according to Navas, Nentwig and Patterson. Nentwig gave credit to the pitchers for the team’s strong defensive effort.
“Our pitching is really strong, and that has helped us through so many games,” Nentwig said. “If they continue shutting teams down doing what they’re doing as well as defense behind them, I think we should be in pretty good shape. But our pitching has got us this far.”
With only eight games left, the Pack are looking to do well in the regional tournament and overtake North Carolina for the No. 1 seed in the ACC. With wins at Florida State, UNC-Charlotte and Georgia Tech, Patterson said it’s a possibility for State to reach its goal.
She said keeping that momentum going will carry the team against Elon.
Navas said maturity makes the difference, and while there are still some things to improve, things are finally coming together.
“The only thing we can control is ourselves,” Navas said.