UNO's Three Aces A Winning Hand
Apr 14, 2010 | General, Softball
An “Ace”, or number one pitcher, is the envy of any softball team. Within the last four years, the UNO Mavericks have accumulated three of a kind.
The trio, senior #Melissa Negrete and juniors Lindsey Slocum and Beth Haley#, have led the Mavericks to a 29-9 record (9-2 MIAA) and a combined strikeout total of 213 this season.
This year, Negrete has seen seven innings of relief pitching, but she has set the tone as a starter for the team since her freshman year at UNO. She has accumulated 51 wins in her career so far putting her seventh all-time in school history.
“Whatever I can do to get us to the nationals….that's all I'm concerned about,” Negrete said. “We have a good group of girls on this team, so it definitely makes my job easier when we have the talent on both sides of the ball.”
Pitching since the age of 12, the Omaha native has fanned 348 batters at UNO since 2007 (sixth all-time) in 105 appearances including 86 starts. Her career ERA of 1.93 is 15th all-time and her total of 825 forced ground outs is tops in the UNO record book. Negrete has now faced nearly 2,300 batters (fifth all-time) in her career and has led the way for the rest of the team.
“When I first came here, [UNO] I was really quiet,” Negrete said. “Now coach (#Jeanne Scarpello#) can't get me to shut up some times [laughing]. Just having the experience, it allowed me to help the younger girls relax a little bit.”
Following in the footsteps of Negrete, Haley and Slocum have come into their own, accumulating a combined 70-22 record and 508 strikeouts.
Slocum, an Omaha native, has been a leader for the team on both sides of the ball in 2010. Usually pitching and batting in one game of a doubleheader and playing outfield and batting in the other game, Slocum is 10-2 on the season. She has amassed 94 strikeouts and holds a career ERA of 2.09.
Not only a strong pitcher, Slocum is 10th all-time in doubles hit (36) and has 92 RBI in her career. Earlier this season, the slugging pitcher put up both a perfect game and a grand slam in a doubleheader against Missouri Southern on March 28. The win in the night cap gave Scarpello her 460th career win, the top mark in school history.
“It felt really good. It was my first perfect game in college,” Slocum said. “But I think it's great that we can all pitch every game,” Slocum said. “They aren't afraid to throw any of us at anytime.
“It's a huge advantage for the team. Along with the defense doing well and the offense scoring runs, it's definitely a big part of my success as a pitcher.”
Haley, the North Central Conference freshman of the year in 2008, compiled a 20-8 record that season, including 121 strikeouts and six shutouts.
As a junior, the Indiana native is UNO's all-time leader in games finished (32) and is eighth in strikeouts with 273. Haley improved to 12-2 this season after her most recent victory, a no-hitter against Northwest Missouri State Tuesday.
“The defense was flawless out there,” Haley said. “We definitely came together and I really owe that one to them. This might have been one of those games to set the tone for the rest of the season.”
UNO's three aces combined to help the school to the 2008 North Central Conference championship. This season, the trio is aiming to help the Mavericks earn their first MIAA title and 21st consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
The trio, senior #Melissa Negrete and juniors Lindsey Slocum and Beth Haley#, have led the Mavericks to a 29-9 record (9-2 MIAA) and a combined strikeout total of 213 this season.
This year, Negrete has seen seven innings of relief pitching, but she has set the tone as a starter for the team since her freshman year at UNO. She has accumulated 51 wins in her career so far putting her seventh all-time in school history.
“Whatever I can do to get us to the nationals….that's all I'm concerned about,” Negrete said. “We have a good group of girls on this team, so it definitely makes my job easier when we have the talent on both sides of the ball.”
Pitching since the age of 12, the Omaha native has fanned 348 batters at UNO since 2007 (sixth all-time) in 105 appearances including 86 starts. Her career ERA of 1.93 is 15th all-time and her total of 825 forced ground outs is tops in the UNO record book. Negrete has now faced nearly 2,300 batters (fifth all-time) in her career and has led the way for the rest of the team.
“When I first came here, [UNO] I was really quiet,” Negrete said. “Now coach (#Jeanne Scarpello#) can't get me to shut up some times [laughing]. Just having the experience, it allowed me to help the younger girls relax a little bit.”
Following in the footsteps of Negrete, Haley and Slocum have come into their own, accumulating a combined 70-22 record and 508 strikeouts.
Slocum, an Omaha native, has been a leader for the team on both sides of the ball in 2010. Usually pitching and batting in one game of a doubleheader and playing outfield and batting in the other game, Slocum is 10-2 on the season. She has amassed 94 strikeouts and holds a career ERA of 2.09.
Not only a strong pitcher, Slocum is 10th all-time in doubles hit (36) and has 92 RBI in her career. Earlier this season, the slugging pitcher put up both a perfect game and a grand slam in a doubleheader against Missouri Southern on March 28. The win in the night cap gave Scarpello her 460th career win, the top mark in school history.
“It felt really good. It was my first perfect game in college,” Slocum said. “But I think it's great that we can all pitch every game,” Slocum said. “They aren't afraid to throw any of us at anytime.
“It's a huge advantage for the team. Along with the defense doing well and the offense scoring runs, it's definitely a big part of my success as a pitcher.”
Haley, the North Central Conference freshman of the year in 2008, compiled a 20-8 record that season, including 121 strikeouts and six shutouts.
As a junior, the Indiana native is UNO's all-time leader in games finished (32) and is eighth in strikeouts with 273. Haley improved to 12-2 this season after her most recent victory, a no-hitter against Northwest Missouri State Tuesday.
“The defense was flawless out there,” Haley said. “We definitely came together and I really owe that one to them. This might have been one of those games to set the tone for the rest of the season.”
UNO's three aces combined to help the school to the 2008 North Central Conference championship. This season, the trio is aiming to help the Mavericks earn their first MIAA title and 21st consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
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