Lady Rams softball seek CIAA 3-peat

The Winston-Salem State softball team has shown resilience after beginning its season with some difficulty.
The Lady Rams, who have won the past two CIAA Championships, lost seven out of their first eight games.
Despite that slow start, WSSU has won 14 of its last 18 games [as of March 18] to have a 15-11 record.
WSSU is also a perfect 7-0 in conference play and in first place of the CIAA Southern Division.
Head Softball Coach LaTaya Hilliard- Gray said some of her team's losses have come from playing down to their opponents and not playing to their own capabilities.
"I think sometimes we get into the position where we play at the other team's level," Hilliard-Gray said.
"We're competing with them, but we don't know we can compete better than them. So I definitely think we've given away some games."
Hilliard-Gray said some of the losses the Lady Rams let slip away were a Feb. 2 game against Mars Hill and a Feb. 5 road series against Pfeiffer. In those matchups against both schools, WSSU only lost by one run.
Hilliard-Gray said having to play a challenging schedule is another reason for their early struggles. She scheduled WSSU in non-conference to play talented teams throughout the season who have the chance to make the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament.
"Most CIAA schools, with the exception of probably maybe Fayetteville State, Chowan and Virginia State, play a lot of conference teams and not regional [tournament] teams," Hilliard- Gray said.
"Our schedule was built on regional competition, and I think they [the players] are finally buying into what we need them to do to be recognized as one of the better teams in the nation."
Senior outfielder Shantel Haskins, who has a .323 batting average and 21 hits so far this season, said the Lady Rams are continuing to get better each game.
"I think as the season grows, you become a better team," Haskins said.
"We've had some bumps in the road, but we've made some good strides."
Haskins is hoping the progress her team continues to make help prepare them to win a third straight CIAA title. The last time WSSU won three straight conference championships was 1986.
"They say the third time is the charm, but it's hard to defend," Haskins said.
Although the Lady Rams understand other CIAA teams are trying to dethrone them in the conference, they believe they have what it takes to not only reclaim the CIAA title, but do better in the NCAA regional tournament as well.
Last year, WSSU lost to Kutztown University 1-0 and Indiana University (Pa.) 6-1 in the regional tournament.
"I think we're capable," said senior Brittany Lane on winning another conference championship and having more success in the regional tournament.
"We have a lot of chemistry, but our biggest thing is our versatility."
Lane is one of several players on the Lady Rams team that can play more than one position. Lane is a pitcher and an outfielder.
As a pitcher, she has eight wins so far and 85 strikeouts. As an outfielder, Lane has a batting average of .351 and 13 RBIs.
"Being able to have people that can play different positions helps us out a lot," Lane said.
The Lady Rams have already played half of their regular season conference games. The CIAA Championship will be April 18-20, and the regional tournament will begin in May.
Hilliard-Gray said her team's goals are very high when it comes to postseason play.
"The [CIAA] conference championship we're expected to win," she said.
"Making it and doing well in regional's has to be our expectation."