Wednesday, August 20, the NC Junior Varsity (JV) softball team (0-1) faced off against the Campbell High School Spartans (2-2) on NC’s home field. The Lady Warriors entered their third game of the season with high hopes and positive energy from players and coaches. To build their collaborative spirit for the game, they began with team warmups 30 minutes prior, creating a necessary bond before the first pitch.
The game began with the opposing team playing infield, with shortstop/ pitcher Dviana Reaid (1) pitching first. Campbell batted up and received a strike, but with the second hit, the ball landed them at first base. The next batter received three balls from Reaid, yet NC did not falter. Reaid then threw a skillful pitch that glided off the opposing team’s bat, handing the batter a strike. The offense hit the ball on the fifth pitch, knocking it out, which allowed the second and third base runners to run to home plate. Following four other players on the opposing side batting, NC switched to the inner field, starting with pitcher/shortstop Zuri Caple (4) pitching. Caple struck out with third baseman Christina King (19) coming in next to bat. On King’s third hit, she ran to first base, and first baseman Kennedy Goshay (27) batted next. After Goshay swung, she proceeded to third base, and King accomplished a home run, resulting in an uproar from the stands. The last batter for inning one, second baseman Maddie Moore (9), received a strike but recovered on the second hit, allowing Goshay to run to home plate and finish with a score of 2-6.
Even with the slight drawback, the team kept their values and a positive attitude. Although the Lady Warriors did not perform as expected in the first inning, the coaches continued to reassure the girls that they still held on to a chance for a win and could come back strong. With the time they took between the innings, the girls did team drills, preparing for their next plays.
“I would say we just need to improve our communication skills because even though we make errors, a lot of us do not communicate [with] one another. [Softball] helps with outside world problems, such as when I’m stressed at school; it helps me focus on something else. For me, I do have a lot of personal stuff [going on] so I would like to focus on the game rather than let other outside factors affect me,” junior catcher Maddison Codding (14) said.
Inning two began with Campbell’s team batting again while Caple pitched, which ended in a strikeout. The second baseman on the opposing team batted next, striking out as well. Campbell’s centerfielder batted and swung at the ball into the outer field, where Goshay caught the ball and kicked the previous batter off the field. The last batter on the line-up, third baseman Campbell, took her place on the field and landed her swing on the last chance, creating an opportunity for her to run to home plate. After a quick break, the Lady Warriors returned to the inner field, pumped for a comeback. Center fielder Lola Sullins (12) swung first on NC’s side, unfortunately striking out along with left fielder Petra Martinovic (23). Caple came onto the field, gaining a first base run in her first swing. Goshay also achieved a first swing hit, enabling her and Caple to run down two bases. With a couple of pitches left, Moore swung after two strikes, increasing NC’s score by two as Goshay and Caple ran to home base. Reaid bat last with a solid swing, but an outfielder caught the ball in outer field, ending the second inning. (4-12)
“Ultimately, I want them to have fun and keep gaining experience. I used to play, and the biggest thing for me is that they are not going to remember a win or a loss, but their time on the field. We’ve been working on getting the girls comfortable playing with each other and their new positions, as well as just gelling as a team. This wasn’t our best game, possibly due to a lot of them not being in the right headspace, but we’re going to focus on having a positive attitude and working on their fundamentals,” NC jv softball community coach Tessah McAllister said.
In the last couple of innings, the Lady Warriors’ spirits began to deflate, but it did not stop the coaches from trying to pep them back up for the last two rounds. During the third inning, NC broke their home run streak while the opposing team gained two points and upped their score to 4-14. While in the midst of the last two innings, both teams incurred four points, ending the game 8-18. With the unfortunate loss of the game, the Lady Warriors felt discouraged, but they continued to believe that the next games would allow them to bounce back as a team.
