Right off the bat, the softball team came face-to-face with several challenges leading into their 2024 season. With two victorious scrimmages under their belt, the team had a great start to the season, despite needing to adjust to unforeseen changes. However, with game cancellations interfering with the Bulldogs’ time on the field, new obstacles have arisen.

At the beginning of April, the softball team was scheduled to play four consecutive games within the same week. Unfortunately, due to inclement weather conditions, all four games were canceled. Therefore, the girls’ schedules have been altered greatly within the first few weeks of the season.

“The schedule has changed quite a bit. There are more games some weeks, and we have a game [on Saturday, April 13] to make up for the cancellations,” Trista Sommerville, a junior on the team, said.

To make up for lost time, the team held practices during the times their games were initially scheduled. When weather permitted, the girls ran through a practice game on the home softball field. Although, since this was rarely the case, most practices were scheduled for indoors. When practicing indoors, the softball team would utilize the space in the gymnasium to practice pitching and catching softballs. Even though there is a set pitcher and catcher, the girls used this activity as a way of enhancing their hand-eye coordination, according to Head Coach Dale Broskey.

“We have been upset that we have not been able to get out there and play any games,” sophmore Janna Kline, a sophomore softball player, said. “We have not done so good on the recent ones since we have not played a game in weeks, but I think we will be good on the games coming up.”

Taking their practices to the field, the Bulldogs tackled three games by the first two weeks of April. On March 21, a week after their last scrimmage, the girls took on the Rochester Rams again at home. Senior Shaye Bailey collected four hits in five at-bats, doubled in the fourth inning and singled in the first, sixth and seventh innings. Despite their impressive plays, the Bulldogs lost to the Rams 17-11.

Coming back after nearly two gameless weeks, the softball team traveled to Laurel to play against the Spartans on April 8. Even though it was a hard-fought game, the girls lost 0-15. A day later, on April 9, the Bulldogs hosted the Riverside Panthers at home. By the sixth inning, the girls got three points on the board, but the Panthers quickly surpassed them at the top of the seventh ending. The game ended in a 21-33-21 loss against to the Panthers.

Despite a losing season thus far, the girls have shown immense progress from when they initially started. From navigating difficulties with new coaching to handling game cancellations, there have been multiple areas of improvement.

“I predict that there will be more games toward the end to make up [for cancellations], and that we will also have a lot more wins by the end of the season,” Sommerville said.