Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Rest easy, Peninsula fans - it's just spring training.

The Pirates' softball squad dropped all three of their preseason doubleheaders, each of them to four-year schools, at the Disney Wide World of Sports Softball Tournament in Orlando, Fla., March 5-8.

It is the Pirates' only tune-up before starting regular-season play March 24 at home against Edmonds.

On March 5, the Pirates opened the Disney tourney with a 12-6 loss to Park Point University of Pittsburgh, Pa., thanks to a nerves-riddled seven errors in the field. Carly Swingle, a 2008 Sequim High graduate, threw four strong innings and gave up just two earned runs.

On offense, former prep teammate Ashley Lowe-Thaens led the way with three hits in four trips to the plate and Molly Fletcher, another Sequim High product, produced two hits with a double. Peninsula's Tasha Taylor and Colleen Murphy-Carey each went 2/4 and Kelly Henderson homered.

In game two against Park Point, Port Angeles' Brittany Norton pitched four innings and gave up one earned run, but three errors helped lead the way to a 6-1 Park Point victory. Murphy-Carey went 2-for-3 with a double and Taylor added a hit.

On March 6, the Pirates were swept by John Logan College of Illinois. In game one, the Pirates fell 11-3. Peninsula's offense came mostly from Sequim products: Fletcher was 1-for-1 with two walks, Lowe-Thaens was 2-for-3 with an RBI and catcher Marquita Espinoza had a hit and an RBI. In the nightcap, John Logan College emerged with a 15-0 win. Fletcher and North had Peninsula's only hits.

In the tournament finale, Peninsula dropped a pair to Lincoln College, also of Illinois.

With Swingle and Espinoza out sick, the Pirates fell 7-4 in game one and 11-5 in game two.

Murphy-Carey had a pair of hits in the first contest as the Pirates out-hit Lincoln 9-7.

In game two, Caitlin Curtis and Kelly Henderson each had hits.