There aren’t many times when Elizabeth Seton infielders — and sisters — Kelsey and Erin Sheehan don’t talk softball.
“We spend time talking about what we need to do ourselves and as a team and what we can do to help the team,” Kelsey Sheehan said. “Whether we’re on the field, after the game, or in the car on the way home, we’re talking about it constantly.”
Last year those conversations were simply about hopes for a better season, as the Roadrunners finished a dismal 7-11. But now the talk has been increasingly optimistic as the Sheehans have helped Seton (11-10, 6-7 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) move closer to becoming a true contender in the WCAC.
Six of the Roadrunners’ seven conference losses were by two runs or less, which has been hard on Kelsey and Erin, who play shortstop and second base, respectively, and are Seton’s team leaders on and off the field.
“It’s been tough losing by one and knowing that you are a main part of the team because you have to stay up,” said Kelsey Sheehan, a junior. “You can’t stay down and everyone’s constantly watching you. You have to stay up, and if you have a bad game, you just have to let that go.”
“I think they’ve responded well [to the pressure,]” said Roadrunners coach Rita Horning. “Kelsey, whether she knows it or not, has been a leader since she was a freshman, being aggressive, being a leader by example. Now playing shortstop, she’s the leader onthe field the whole time. She’s adapted pretty well to it, whether she knows it or not.”
After batting ninth and playing in the outfield as a freshman last season, Erin Sheehan, a sophomore, has become her older sister’s partner on offense and defense.
Both Sheehans let their play speak as loud as their attitudes. Not only do they line up side-by-side in the infield, they also bat first and second, setting the tone for the offense.
“Because [Erin] bats behind me, I’m so used to her moving me around. I get on base and I don’t have to worry about stealing because she’s going to get the ball down, and there’s no way I’m going to be out,” said Kelsey Sheehan.
Kelsey and Erin accounted for five of Seton’s eight runs in Monday’s 8-5, come-from-behind win over St. Mary’s-Ryken, a win that could foreshadow future success.
“We just started hitting, we got bunts down, we stole bases, and our defense backed the offense up,” said Kelsey Sheehan. “It went both ways, and it was definitely the best game I’ve ever seen us play.”
Stat sheet
» Kelsey Sheehan: .417 batting average, 14 RBIs, 25 runs scored
» Erin Sheehan: .458 batting average, 10 RBIs, .650 OBP, nine stolen bases
