Softball players of the week -- Marly Laubach and Brianna Chilcoat

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER It has come to my attention that the softball players of the week that are revealed in print on Fridays are not making it online. So we will try to mention them here as well over the rest of the season. Here are last Friday's honorees: MARLY LAUBACH -- NORTHAMPTON Marly Laubach said the game plan was simply to “keep the heat on.” Northampton’s junior pitcher was talking about her strategy against Bethlehem Catholic on Tuesday when she stopped the Golden Hawks with a two-hitter in a 1-0, eight-inning win.Laubach001 “I just wanted to throw them a lot of fast stuff, keep it hot, and see what they can handle,” Laubach said. Becahi had trouble handling the heat as 12 strikeouts attest in Northampton’s biggest win of the season. “We really wanted this one because we lost to them three times last year,” Laubach said. “Plus, we lost our shortstop Alesha Marcks to an injury and we wanted to win it for her.” Laubach, who had just two walks, called it her best game of the season. “Walks have been an issue for me,” she said. “I used to be known as the girl who was fast, but had a lot of walks. Now, I want to minimize those walks.” BRIANNA CHILCOAT -- DESALES Brianna Chilcoat said the season has been somewhat rough for the DeSales softball team this spring. But it got a lot of better with a 7-5 win over national powerhouse Moravian on Tuesday in the second game of a doubleheader in Bethlehem. Chilcoat, a senior outfielder from Northampton, went 3-for-4, scored a run and knocked in one during the Bulldogs’ biggest win of the season. Brianna ChilcoatDeSales is just 10-20, 3-7 Freedom Conference, but still hopes to make the conference tournament. Chilcoat, hitting .319 with a team-high 25 runs, is a catalyst for the Bulldogs. “I am graduating in a month and this is probably my last year of playing softball,” Chilcoat said. “I want to finish this season strong. Every game counts at this point.” As one of four seniors on the roster, Chilcoat is trying to help the team’s eight freshmen as much as possible and is hopeful of becoming a coach and working with kids after graduation.