Havelock softball team seeks consistency

At times, Havelock High softball coach Terry Taylor thinks his team is pretty good, such as in a 7-2 season-opening victory against White Oak.

Then at times he thinks his team is pretty bad, such as a 6-2 loss to East Carteret in the second game of the year.

"We made five errors in one inning and they broke the game open," Taylor said of last week's loss.

He said the Rams must find some consistency - on the mound and with the bats - to contend in the Coastal Conference this year.

"Our pitching is not as strong as in some years past, so we're going to have to score more runs than in the past," Taylor said.

For that, he is looking to the top of his lineup, led by Natalie Salter. She's had three hits in two games and scored runs in each game, exactly what Taylor wants from his leadoff hitter.

"She has as much speed as we've got," Taylor said. "She has to learn some patience, but she has good base-running sense when she gets on base."

Once Salter gets on, Lindsey Woolridge and Nicole Roberts, who had four hits in the first two games, have the power to drive in runs, Taylor said.

"If we hit the ball, we have some power," he said. "It's just a matter of making contact. We have to recognize the situations and what the pitcher is trying to do. We need to think about where the ball is going to be pitched. We need to be swinging at better pitches."

Taylor will look to two sisters to lead the Rams on the mound - senior Casandra Krotz and Elizabeth Krotz, who pitched three no-hit innings in the victory against East Carteret.

He said the Rams need to play better defense to back up the pitchers.

"At times, we look solid," he said of his team's defense. "Then at times we look like a young rec team."

Taylor put D.H. Conley and Washington above the pack in terms of the conference race. He expects the Rams to be in the middle of the league along with Greenville Rose, New Bern, West Carteret and West Craven.

"There will be quite a jumble in the middle of the conference," he said.

Taylor said better hitting and more focus is needed for the Rams to improve upon last year's 6-14 record.

"We have adequate pitching, but we're going to get hit, so we need to make the defensive plays and score runs," Taylor said. "We have to have better hitting."

Havelock continues its season against Eastern Wayne at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Havelock High School and then hosts Northern Nash at 6 p.m. Friday. Havelock opens league play against Greenville Rose at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Greenville.