Point Park University’s Women’s softball kicked off their season on February 28 with a long stretch of games every day ending on Thursday, March 4 playing in Kissimmee, Florida. The Pioneers were faced with a rapid change in scenery down in Florida compared to the usual training spot of the Greentree sportsplex. 

“A lot of people don’t realize that these teams we play have been playing outside, they have played on dirt and even played games prior to spring training,” said 20-year-old Junior Legal studies major and outfielder Taylor Goldstrom. “We have been in Greentree with little space and on turf. It was our first look at a game-like situation with the young team that we have,” Goldstrom said. 

Goldstrom started in eight games for the Pioneers so far this season, batting with a percentage of 0.381, contributing 2 runs batted in (RBI’s), and a triple on the scorecard. Goldstrom had 8 hits while in Florida, and was a huge part of the Pioneers scoring.

“Our infield is young, we haven’t all played together before last week,” Goldstrom said. “That is a big difference, so I am not disappointed with the outcomes.”

The Pioneers found themselves off to a rocky start at the beginning of the 2021 season, winning only 3 of the 10 games played and being outscored 68 to 25 during this first stretch. Although it was not the start the team wanted, many players are happy with what they say during the first games played of the season.

“No matter what the outcome, there is always room for improvement,” said Sophomore Multimedia major and first baseman Alex Bondi.  “We are a hardworking team, and I feel as though once all the bits and pieces finally come together, anything is possible with us. I feel as though I did fairly decent in Florida. However, as I said before, there is always room for improvement,” Bondi said.

Bondi started in seven of the 10 games in Florida for the Pioneers, hitting a 0.368 batting average with seven hits, 3 RBI’s, and only one strikeout. Bondi was a key player in the 4th inning of their game against Bethel University, hitting an RBI double that would later go on to help the Pioneers secure the win and split their final games in Florida.

“With my freshman season being canceled, I came back with vengeance,” Bondi said. “I wanted to improve my game and my part on the field. For the team, not only do I want us to win and go far but, I want us to be a family,” Bondi said.

Bondi is not the only member of the team that is looking to create a stronger bond on the bench, and in turn, translate that to on-the-field performance.

“Our team has been very fast to bond on and off the field this year which is always important,” said Maddie Horn, a 21 year old senior Pre-medical Pre-professional major and outfielder for the pioneers. “We have great chemistry; we just need to keep growing it. Florida gives us the chance to play on dirt together for the first time in months,” Horn said.

While disappointed with the outcome of their stretch in Florida, Horn believes that this is only a small stepping stone to the team’s future success.  Horn started in eight games for the Pioneers this season, hitting at an even 0.200 percent with 4 RBI’s.

“We may have not won as many games as we hoped, but we got better with every game which is impressive,” Horn said. “For every player, in any sport, their performance will never be good enough to them. We all strive to do better each game and this attitude is what will push us to practice harder and win more games.” 

The Pioneers softball team play next on Tues. March 16, with a doubleheader against Malone University.