LHS softball slide continues

Lawrence High pitcher Lauren Massey winds up for a pitch in the first game against SM West. LHS lost, 3-0 and 5-0, on Wednesday at Holcom Complex.
Lawrence High softball pitcher Lauren Massey isn’t going to stop throwing.
She’d like a little offensive support from her teammates during the process, though.
Massey allowed just two earned runs in 14 innings but LHS lost both games of a doubleheader to Shawnee Mission West, 3-0 and 5-0, Wednesday afternoon at Holcom Complex.
The Lions tallied as many errors as hits (nine) during the doubleheader and fell to 1-13 this season, with Massey earning every decision in the circle.
Despite the lack of run support, Massey remained upbeat about her mentality.
“You can’t think about all those losses,” Massey said. “You just have to think of that game and for me, it’s that next pitch.”
Wednesday marked the seventh and eighth occurrences in 14 games this season that the Lions have been shut out.
“It’s all mental and lack of confidence,” LHS coach Reenie Stogsdill said. “They do it in practice, and they get out here and get all tense, and you can’t hit when you’re like that.”
The Lions’ best chance for a score came near the end of Game Two.
Down 5-0 in the sixth, Lawrence mounted a mini rally, loading the bases in the bottom of the inning on a Lauren Byrn single, a Mallory Reynolds single and a Massey walk. But the Lions were unable to piece together a comeback. The inning ended one batter later on a harmless groundout to first.
Massey fanned eight during her 14 innings in the circle.
“She’s doing really good,” senior right fielder Mariah Vaughn said. “She’s sticking in there. It’s really hard pitching all the time. I used to be a pitcher, so I give props to her.”
Lawrence takes on Shawnee Mission East at 5 p.m. today in a doubleheader at Holcom.
“I guess you just keep going out everyday hoping this is the day we finally put it together, because we can play good ball,” Stogsdill said. “But offensively, you don’t win with a zero on the board.”