Moore and Warner using softball as valuable teaching tool
ALBANY, N.Y. » Numerous student-athletes at The College of Saint Rose have perhaps played their final collegiate game following the decision by the NCAA and Northeast-10 Conference to cancel the spring sports season due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Though plans are still being formulated, a 6-4 loss to Mercyhurst on March 5 could have been marked the final time that a pair of softball seniors, infielder Shannon Moore (Norwich, N.Y./Norwich) and right-hander Kylee Warner (Binghamton, N.Y./ Chenango Forks), donned a Golden Knights uniform. The setback, which capped the program’s annual spring break trip to Florida, proved to be the final contest of the 2020 campaign.
“There was a whole boatload of emotion that went through my head when (Head Coach) Abby (Arceneaux) told us that our season was can
celed,” said Warner. “Words can’t fully describe how I was feeling: shocked, upset, sad, mad aren’t enough. Especially because things really were left unfinished. Our record doesn’t look good at first glance, but we played much better than it showed. We had some real potential and I feel that we would have really shined and turned our record around.”
“Not being able to discuss everything in person was the worst part - no hugs could be given out, no closure on our quick season. When I told them the news, I reminded them to focus on things they can control, as most of this was out of our control. I advised them to use this time to mend their bodies and minds, work on grades, relationships, hobbies and anything that being a college athlete sometimes gets in the way of. I also reminded them that they weren’t in this alone. At the end of the day, what we all were feeling was a shared set of emotions,” added Arceneaux.
Both student-athletes were off to strong starts in 2020.
Moore, who went 1-3 with an RBI against the Lakers, led the Golden Knights with a .394 batting average (13for-33), while adding four doubles and 10 RBI. The management major, who saw time at both second base and designated player during the Florida Trip, took home NE10 Player of the Week honors on March 2. She slashed .529/.571/.765 across the opening six games.
Warner pitched in nine of the team’s 12 games down in Florida, totaling 19.0 innings. She tossed two shutout innings in relief versus Mercyhurst. The biology major, who represented the program on the Saint Rose Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), compiled a 1-2 record with a 2.58 ERA and 14 strikeouts.
The bus trips to Rindge, N.H. (Franklin Pierce) and Waltham, Mass. (Bentley) for NE10 doubleheaders and afternoon practices at the Plumeri Sports Complex have been put on hold as the duo, like all Saint Rose students, are taking classes remotely. Softball has helped prepare Warner for the “adventure” of taking six science classes, including three labs, online.
“Being a college athlete, you really have to have good time management skills, with classes, practices, road trips, and games. The schedule of a student-athlete has helped me map out the time needed to make sure I’m prepared for each class, and the quizzes and tests that we’ll have this semester,” explained Warner.
“Online classes have been good so far,” said Moore. “I’ve been putting my head to the books, doing the best I can in my final semester as an undergrad. I feel that I’m able to excel even more in the classroom because I don’t have as much softball to balance. I’ve always enjoyed painting and the time at home allows me to explore my artistic side. Much of our ‘family time’ has been traveling to my games, so it’s nice to have some family time that doesn’t involve softball too.”
Moore and Warner, both multiple-time selections to the NE10 Academic Honor Roll, plan to continue their education next year. Though their time as student-athletes may have concluded, softball has proved to be a valuable teaching tool in dealing with the situation.
“Softball is a game of failure,” said Moore. “Going 3-for-10 at the plate can put you in the Hall of Fame. You’re going to get knocked down, you’re going to make errors, you’re going to strike out. You just got to push through that wall to get better each and every day.”
“Obviously with this nationwide pandemic, things are going to happen. We’re going to get knocked down from time to time. We as a nation and community need to pick ourselves back up, and work together with our teammates to move forward,” added Warner.