Barrington High School softball Coach Sandy Gorham believes his team is better than its record shows.

The Eagles were 0-5 through the end of last week, but Gorham said they have had opportunities to win many of those games. But a bad inning here or there has spelled trouble for Barrington, said Coach Gorham.

Against South Kingstown, the Eagles committed eight errors and let a five-run lead evaporate in the last inning. Against Mt. Hope, Barrington allowed 16 Huskies runs on just four hits. The Eagles committed six errors in the field and walked eight Mt. Hope batters.

“We practice better than we play,” said Coach Gorham. “I don’t know if they get nervous in the games. It’s not a lack of effort… I have no complaints about effort.”

Coach Gorham said a lack of confidence can present problems for teams. He also mentioned that the team sometimes plays as if they are afraid of making a mistake. 

“That leads to errors,” he added. 

But there have been plenty of times when the team has played well, Coach Gorham said. The Eagles battled a tough Westerly team for most of the game, and Barrington played well for four innings against a talented Ponaganset team.

“We just need to play better defense,” Coach Gorham added. “We don’t seem to get the hits when we need them.”

Despite the slow start, the Eagles are still working hard in practice, said the coach. He mentioned the play of second baseman Alyssa Conaty and catcher Ace McCoy. McCoy started the season at shortstop but moved to catcher after Mia Etheridge suffered an injury. 

Coach Gorham said he is confident that his team will break into the win column soon. He believes that a little success could go a long way with this year’s team.

“If you get that first win under the belt, we can build off that,” he said. “They have the ability.”

Barrington was scheduled to play against Toll Gate on Monday, and will travel to Narragansett on Wednesday, May 1.