Softball Has Big Wins Amidst Mixed Season
The Exeter girls’ varsity softball team closed out their season with a mixed record of 9-10 this. While the girls didn’t perform as well as they had hoped, the victories that they did manage to secure and their experiences over the course of the season made up for their losses.
This season had a number of great moments for the team. The girls managed to claim victories at two tournaments, one against BB&N and Tabor, and the other at the Big East Tournament, which was held at Brooks. Prep Maddie Moon said that the errorless games within these tournaments were some of the highlights of the season.
Over the course of this spring, the team also grew close together, especially between lower and upperclassmen. Moon said that she felt accepted as a prep on the varsity team and was glad that she was included as a prep. “The team was very nice and made me feel like a part of the team from the first day, and I consider myself very good friends with pretty much all of my teammates,” Moon said.
In order to perform as well as they did in each of their nine wins, each member of the girls’ team had to work together seamlessly. Each player contributed to the team in their own way. Lower Ella Johnson recounted some skills that became certain players’ trademarks. Upper Lauren Fidelak was known for her double plays. Johnson attributed Fidelak's success as a second baseman to her ability to catch runners going to second base. “We’ve turned a bunch of awesome double plays in the infield this year,” Johnson remarked. “Coaches actually stopped sending runners.” According to Johnson, senior Lucy Weiler was an adept outfielder who managed to snag a number of far balls and make clutch outs for the team. Finally, Johnson also commended her sister, Sequoia Johnson, who “had a fantastic delayed steal to third in one of our games.”
“We've had a lot of fun this year, especially with our team dinners, one of which we went to our coach's house for a BBQ and made s'mores.”
In addition to all of the amazing plays during games, the team shared many great memories during practices. Senior captain Courtney Gibeley said, “Some great memories include when [lower] Kaleigh [Conte] would interview people with her fake microphone before games or after warm ups when Lauren would throw the ball in the opposite direction of where I was going just to make my life harder or when Maddie Moon sassed the team.”
The team’s leadership has also been excellent this season. The two coaches, Nancy Thompson and Amy Maclean led the team with hard work and steady improvement. Moon said that this year’s coaches “were very helpful and worked hard to help us improve throughout the season.” Though they drilled the girls through hard work and serious practices, the coaches also made an effort to have fun with the players. “Both of our coaches are a lot of fun, but they are also serious during game time. I have a good relationship with both of them," Johnson said.
The softball team worked together throughout the season to form the strongest team possible. The players’ different experience levels and different skills created a well-rounded team. The season also included events that brought the team together. “We've had a lot of fun this year, especially with our team dinners, one of which we went to our coach's house for a BBQ and made s'mores," Moon said. Gibeley, who played in her last game on May 28, will miss the Exeter softball team. She has played for Exeter for the past four years and has seen players come and go. “It was hard saying goodbye. I'll miss everyone and it was a great season," she said.