Softball Blog: MHS Wants Improvement Over Perfection

contributed by: joearriolajr

By Joe Arriola
Sports Reporter -- TOWNSQUAREBUZZ.com

It's been a few games since the McKinney High softball team has been able to close out a game with a zero in the error column but that's exactly what took place last Friday night. The Lionettes came out on fire early in the game and earned a 12-0 win over Richardson Pearce after five short innings.

Even though his girls were able to beat Pearce on the road 16-0 the first time around, head coach Jeremy Greenway was much more pleased with the flawless defensive performance.

"That was really big for us," he said.

Both of the Lionettes two District 10-4A shutout wins have come against the fifth-place Lady Mustangs.

After Friday's game, Greenway gathered his players near the outfield wall and talked to them about the importance of improving one game at a time, and one player at a time.

"We hope that every day one of our players improves at something they need to get better at so that in round one [of the playoffs] we are all together and we're all making the big plays that need to be made."

For the Lionettes, who are currently hanging on to the third seed in the district, the playoffs are a lock. So now the question becomes who will they play and how will they perform once every game is a must-win. Greenway's team sealed its postseason fate with a win over McKinney North last Tuesday and from that point his girls have been preparing themselves for round one of the playoffs where they will face either Frisco Centennial or Frisco Wakeland.

"They're both tough," Greenway said. "One of them has the rise-ball pitcher and the one has the drop-ball pitcher. So we're going to work on those things that will help us be successful."

'Consistency' was the word Greenway used when talking to his girls after the game and in his post-game interview. McKinney High had to come back from seven runs down to knock off the Lady Bulldogs in what was one of the biggest comebacks in Lionettes softball history. While Greenway was pleased with his girls ability to stay focused on their task and claw their way back into the game in the seventh-inning, it wasn't exactly the performance he hoped to see since MHS crushed North 20-9 in their first meeting. Not to mention, the Lionettes won't be able to count on making such a remarkable comeback once the playoffs are underway and the best are playing the best.

So after their win over McKinney North, Greenway wanted to see his girls show consistency for seven full innings - or in the Lionettes' case five full innings.

"We talk about process over outcome all the time," he said. "We don't talk about perfection. We just talk about improvement and doing the little things right that's going to help us take care of the scoreboard.

As you probably saw in the TownSquareBuzz Highlight Reel, the Lionettes made several big plays Friday night from night, including big hits from Jazmine Nelson and Meredith Baker to superb pitching from Chelsea Thomas. One play that was not featured or captured on video was the play that sealed with game in fifth-inning. With two outs, the Lady Mustangs hit a ball to centerfield and junior Alyssa Fontillas ran toward the ball and dove forward for an amazing catch that sent Pearce home.

"That's one of the things that Fontillas is capable of all the time," Greenway said. "She's one of those girls that leads by example. She's done it every day since I've known her as a freshman and she came up big on that play."

Next up for McKinney High is a road game Tuesday night at Wylie East. When the Lady Raiders visited MHS on March 25, the Lionettes cruised to an 11-1 victory. This time around, Greenway and his staff will be looking once again for improvement over perfection.

"We took care of them on our field last time so now we're just looking for improvement and for our girls to take care of the process."