Conall Coats
As the seniors are walking on the field one last time, the crowd rallies to cheer them on in their final high school game. "Bittersweet, exciting, sad, inspiring, I don't really know how to describe it" Abby Winkleman '24 said. Before and after the game, each and every warrior, in the crowd or on the field, was given the chance to celebrate our outgoing senior class one last time.
“Keep it together” was the mantra of the night as the varsity softball team celebrated their outgoing senior class before and after the game on Thursday, April 18. Although it was a hard-fought game, ultimately it ended in a loss to the Vandegrift Vipers. Despite the defeat, the crowd still roared in honor of the class of 2024.
Even though the season ended without a playoff appearance because of losses against district opponents, the team still held their heads up high at the end of it all, as each player not only grew as individuals, but also as a team. With each pitcher striking out 10s of batters with a no-hitter to each of their names.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing we didn’t make the playoffs,” Abby Winkleman ’24 said. “But this means we can truly have fun here at the end of things.”
Before the game, the Warriors celebrated the senior’s high school careers and ushered them into their future with the yearly pre-game ceremony where the seniors are brought onto the field with their loved ones to share their favorite memories of their time on the team, and what their future entails.
After the festivities, however, it was game on, with the seniors taking charge over the game as the outfield led by Michelle Hierholtzer ‘24 kept the Vipers to a shutout until more than halfway through the game, Their defensive success allowed for alternating pitchers Dorothy Ziebell ‘24 and Kara Whyte ‘24 to batter the opponents with calculated pitches that gave the Warrior offense a chance at the lead.
“I felt like we succeeded [this season] in one big thing, that we went into each game confident and tried and play our best game,” Coach Lenea Meyer said.
However, the game took an eventual turn for the worse as the aggressive Viper batting style caught up to the team, with multiple runners getting on base. It just didn’t seem to stop as the Vipers piled it on the Warriors, putting any chance of a Warrior victory nine points behind them. Yet, the Warriors never let up with each member of the infield diving for balls and hustling to make the plays that needed to be made.
Despite the unsuccessful outing, the night was not about the game, it was about the commemoration of the efforts made by each and every member of the team, and that is truly what shined through as the final inning came to a close, the team gathered for one last post-game huddle. Each player got their moment to share how they felt and honor the time they got to spend on a team full of talented teammates and friends, sending them off for great success.