FARMVILLE, Va. - Longwood University softball freshman Elizabeth McCarthy/Dunnsville has been named the Longwood Female
ARMS Software Athlete of the Week. McCarthy went 3-0 last week with a 0.00 ERA, 16 strikeouts, seven walks and two complete-game shutouts for the Lancers. The lefty highlighted the week with a 1-0 victory in eight innings against the University South Carolina on April 26 when she allowed just two hits, while striking out six. McCarthy added a complete game earlier in the week against Virginia Tech, fanning five batters in the 3-0 decision on April 23. Against Norfolk State on April 22, she threw 4.0 innings in relief with five strikeouts and two hits to record the win. She was tabbed the Crons Brand Big South Conference Pitcher of the Week, as well. The southpaw owns a 17-5 record in the circle this year, pacing the Lancers with a 1.66 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 143.2 innings pitched.
Question and Answer Session with Elizabeth McCarthy and Ashley Robbins AR: Talk a little about your week with two big wins in the circle against Virginia Tech and South Carolina.EM: It was a lot of fun. It’s always fun getting to play big competition like Tech and Carolina, especially with South Carolina because my brother goes there. It was great to go out there and show him what I could do, especially against the SEC school. When we play big teams, I focus on telling myself that they’re just players like us. I try not to think about the ACC or SEC labels. We’re all just out there playing and I just have to do my own thing.
AR: Talk about your success as a rookie so far, getting Big South Pitcher of the Week honors and making such a big impact right away.EM: Coming in as a freshman, it has all been a huge honor really and I owe a lot of my success to my team and to my coaches. It’s been nice to have someone to look up on the pitching staff. And before Longwood, I never really had anybody show me how to do things with pitching and I think Coach Steele has honed me in on what I need to work on. She’s shown me how good I can be and always tells me I have nowhere to go but up.
AR: What have you focused on most this year and where do you think you’ve made the biggest improvements?EM: I’ve focused a lot on getting another pitch this year. I throw two primary pitches, a curve ball and changeup, that work really well for me, but the days that one of those isn’t working for me, I really struggle. Coach Steele and I have been working a lot on a drop ball recently and that’’s been our main focus so far.
AR: Have you always been a strikeout pitcher?EM: For the most part, I have. Coming in, Coach Steele told us what we need to do to help the team out and she told me that I’m a strike out pitcher, but when I don’t, she wants me to get ground balls. Throughout high school, that was the case for me, too, so I think it’s because of the late movement on my ball.
AR: What has been the biggest difference you’ve seen so far between the high school and college game?EM: The thing that I had to learn was you have to hit your spots. The hardest lesson is when you don’t hit your spots, the hitters are going to take extreme advantage of you. If you miss by a little bit, it may be going over the fence. I’ve learned to stretch the zone, so if I miss, I miss way inside or way outside. Definitely don’t leave it over any white on the plate.
AR: What are your biggest goals for the rest of the year?EM: Individually, I want to keep my ERA down and that transfers over to helping the team. If I can keep my ERA down, then that gives the offense a chance to do their thing. Also, I just want to get balls put in play that my defense can handle and put my team in the best position I can to win the Big South Championship.
AR: What’s it feel like heading into the Big South Tournament knowing your team is the defending champion?EM: It’s definitely cool to kind of be the big people on campus. But it’s nice going in now that I’ve seen all the teams. We know what we have to do against everybody. It’s kind of like already having the answers to a test, so I’m looking forward to it.
AR: Do you have any superstitions?EM: During the game, if I’m chewing gum and we’re doing poorly, I’ll spit it out and chew a new piece. Then if we start to do well, I’ll chew that piece the whole game.
AR: Who do you look up to most on the team?EM: I’d have to say Amy Putnam because not only is she the funniest person I know, but she’s the only senior on the team and she’s always looked out for us. She makes sure that we’re always doing the right thing at the right time, and if we forget something, she’s always got our backs. Every chance that she gets to play, she makes it count. She always goes out and works on her own and always works hard, which is something I think all of us should strive to do.
AR: Which teammate would you trade places with for a day?EM: My roommate Jenna (Carnes) because she sees the world in a completely different light. She is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met and I would love to see how she sees the world.
AR: What drew you to Longwood?EM: Definitely Coach Riley and the fact that the school was so small. Coach Riley really focuses on the mental game, which is something that my parents have always taught me. She’s such a great person and she makes me a better person every day that I’m around her. Coming here reminded me of home and my small town. I like being able to walk around campus and know people.
