Here's the difference in my view...

It's much harder to recruit softball (or baseball, for that matter) from or position than it is to recruit lacrosse. Lacrosse should be a no-brainer, with not only our facilities but also our academics, much like women's basketball and perhaps even easier. If BC and James Madison can recruit women's lacrosse, then we ought to be able to knock it out the the park. Softball (and baseball) are much trickier, especially with all of the powerhouse teams in the south and the west. There are not that many northern or midwestern powerhouse softball (or baseball) programs.

The bottom line is that Halfpenny has failed miserably, and that might be generous to say so. In most women's sports, ND has a HUGE advantage recruiting-wise because there is no real professional end-game so logically a recruit should want to go where she could play at the highest level and maximize her academics. Unfortunately, however, we've not been able to sell that in either softball or lacrosse.