BY MORNING SENTINEL STAFF

In preseason, Waterville softball coach Dave Morissette said that staying positive was a key for the Purple Panthers.

Winning helps, and Waterville is off to a 3-2 start after finishing 5-11 last spring in Eastern B.

"This is the most confident, hard working and positive team I have ever coached," Morissette said. "They work hard and play well as a team."

Waterville's offense has also been a big factor in the Panthers' early success. Taylor Hart has continued her hot hitting this season, and Bethany Gagnon, Paige Gardiner, Brittany Locke and Renee Roberts have all delivered in various games.

"We have hit well against some good pitchers," Morissette said. "We are making contact and are not striking out much. The team is also starting to believe that it can play with any team in the league."

Morissette added he would like to see the Panthers tighten up their defense.

This afternoon, Waterville will face another team that has had the same concern of late when the Panthers travel to Pittsfield to face Maine Central Institute. The game should be an interesting one, as MCI is just 1-4 but has lost some close games to tough teams.

"MCI is definitely a good team with a good pitcher and they will get it going," Morissette said. "I am confident that my players will step it up and expect a tough game from both sides."

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Erskine is 4-1 in its return to Class B after spending 2006-07 in Class A. The Eagles have a great start to being competitive in sophomore pitcher Sam Morse, who has been strong every time out.

Morse has not allowed more than two runs in any game and in her one loss, she tossed a one-hitter against Winslow and retired the last 20 batters she faced.

"She's pitched a lot of innings (in travel leagues)," Erskine coach Mike Soule said. "She's used to the pressure, and dealing with the pressure."

Morse's consistency has other effects. According to Soule, the defense is more relaxed because they know Morse will give a strong performance, and Morse can relax knowing that she has a solid defense behind her.

"It's a great combination of defense and pitching that we have right now," Soule said. "Things are really starting to click."

Also clicking is Erskine's offense. Soule said the one through five spots in the lineup -- Ashley Peaslee, Rachael Siegfriedt, Ericka Malley, Ashley Richardson and Morse -- were all hitting better than .400 through four games. Soule believes the last four batters in the order will also start to hit once they gain more experience.

"It's just a matter of getting in a groove," he said.

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The Forest Hills Tigers had their batting order and defense thrown out of whack when center fielder and cleanup hitter Leann Doyle broke her ankle on a freak play recently.

"I talked to them (Wednesday)," Ernie Giroux said. "I said, 'Everybody's going to have to step up a notch. Play hard all the time. If you make an error, forget about it. Just keep playing hard. Everybody's going to have to work harder to make up for what we lost.' "

Doyle was hurt, of all things, while the team practiced sliding. A senior, Doyle has a fine sliding technique, but a small alteration this time resulted in the injury.

"She was always a good slider," Giroux said. "She had a little scrape under her knee and she was trying to protect that, and she didn't tuck her leg under."

Giroux has moved second baseman Jessica Worster to center field and was looking at a couple candidates for second base.

"Teams like Rangeley, Buckfield, Richmond, they don't hit ground balls. They hit the ball out to the outfield, so I need my best players out there," Giroux said.

Filling in due to injury must run in the Worster family, because Jessica's twin sister Jasmine may be called on to pitch if Crystal Allen needs time to recover from a leg injury she suffered covering the plate.

On the bright side, the Tigers have been hitting well since a season-opening loss to Valley. Giroux is especially impressed with what he has seen of first baseman Kayla Achey, an eighth-grader.

"I think she's going to be our best all-around ballplayer, with the exception of Jess Brady (who played four years at the University of Maine)," Giroux said.

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com