The Lady Warriors suffered a 10-0 loss to the Cedar Ridge Raiders in their final game of the season on Friday, April 21. Despite the heavy loss, the team’s biggest focus was celebrating their last night with the seniors. Players and coaches shared tearful hugs with each other after the game.

Before starting the game, seniors in the softball program were honored on the field next to their parents. Announcers welcomed the three graduating players along with the team’s manager to share their personal favorite memories from their years in the program. From tales of having a tooth knocked out to misinterpreting a coach’s signal, their heartfelt stories made it an emotional night for the players, coaches, and parents.

“This was the best game ever because it was my last one and I put everything into it,” Lizzie Taylor ‘18 said. “Even if things didn’t go right, we had so much energy, played as a team, and you could see how much we all love each other.”

Starting in the top of the first inning, the Raiders brought in five runs which put the Lady Warriors at a great disadvantage for the rest of the night. With two strikeouts by pitcher Haley Popelka ‘18 and an out at first base thrown by Natalie O’Connor ‘20, they transitioned into the bottom of the inning but could not bring in any runs. Even though the Lady Warriors struggled offensively, they managed to hold the Raiders at 5-0 in both the second and third inning.

In the fourth inning, the Raiders made another run after a close play at home. Alyssa Popelka ‘19 had retrieved the ball in center field and threw it home for the tag, but the runner ended safe. When the Lady Warriors were up to bat, three consecutive batters struck out. However, there was great anticipation between Popelka ‘18 and the Raider’s pitcher as Popelka hit at least five foul balls before being called out.

“We played our hardest and have improved so much since last playing them,” Olivia Meyers ‘20 said. “I think we did really well for the team that we were playing against.”

The Raiders brought in another run in the fifth inning after O’Connor played the ball at first. O’Connor also ended the inning after catching a line drive at second, but neither team advanced in the sixth inning.

In the final inning, the Raiders scored an additional three runs. Popelka ‘18 nearly hit a home-run in the Lady Warrior’s final at bat. However, the ball bounced back in and only made it to second base and the Lady Warriors lost 10-0. 

“None of us wanted to end on a sad note, so no matter what happened we had a mutual understanding that nobody was allowed to be sad tonight,” Reece said. “Ever since I started as a freshman, it’s [softball] been a constant in my life and I couldn’t have asked for anything better, honestly.”