Every year sports teams, clubs, and organizations ban together to fight cancer and search for a cure for the heartbreaking disease.  The Lady Warrior softball team plays multiple “Strike Out For Cancer” games in honor of their loved ones who have fought or who are fighting the disease currently. This year, they played three games against current rivals Hillgrove (9/9), Kell (9/10), and Marietta (9/11).

For the Lady Warriors’ first game of the week, they took on the Hillgrove Hawks in a tough region match-up. Senior pitcher Olivia Mould started the game on the mound, but after the first inning, the Hawks caught onto her pitching style and a pitching change needed to be made. In the 5th inning, Mould was benched and sophomore pitcher Julie Sanderlin was put on the spot. She thrived throughout the rest of the game, hushing the Hillgrove bats. The Warriors lost in a close 5-3 score. Although they lost the game, the Warriors remained strong throughout the game.

In the next matchup, the Warriors faced the Kell Longhorns. The Lady Warriors scored in almost every inning, whereas the Longhorns only scored in two of the innings. Both teams stayed strong a fought hard throughout the whole game but the Warriors pushed farther into the game. The Lady Warriors won the seventh inning battle, with a final score of 7-6. Ending the game was sophomore Sam Simcox on the mound for her first Varsity win.

Thursday night’s game served as the most exciting of the three. The Lady Warriors defeated the Marietta Blue Devils in a 15-0 game. With Mould back in the pitching circle, the defense seemed as strong as possible. The Warriors started the game strong by scoring five runs in the first inning, then three in the second, and scored a shocking 11 runs in the 3rd inning to force in the run rule and end the game after the 15th run crossed the plate.

With all the excitement of the week, the Warriors and opposing teams still took time to honor those who have fought and are fighting any type of cancer. Before each game, the teams honored their loved ones with a balloon release and moment of silence for those who lost their lives to their battle with cancer. The week brought both heartfelt moments and big wins.