Freshman Kailan Willis stands in the batter’s box during the softball game against Greene County High School on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at Clarke Central High School’s softball field. Willis hit a two-RBI triple, contributing to the team’s 10-1 win. Photo courtesy of Tanner Tedeschi.
By SAMUEL HOOD – Sports Editor
On Wed., Aug. 20, the Clarke Central High School varsity softball team registered its first win in seven years against Greene County High School.
Going into the 2014 softball season, head coach April Tedeschi did not have a single player on her team that had experienced a varsity softball win. Now, 14 girls carry an experience that shows that teamwork, self-motivation and positivity pay off.
“We felt amazing and it was a great win. We played the best we could, which was great,” junior third baseman Kaitlyn Hooker said.
Tedeschi relies on her upperclassmen to maintain a stable environment and to help guide the underclassmen.
“My upperclassmen keep a positive head on their shoulders. They keep moving forward even if we do get down in a game,” Tedeschi said. “They’re there to back the other girls up when something unfortunate happens. They get them back and up going.”
According to Tedeschi, the win was due in part to the offseason training they participated in during the summer.
“We came out this summer and had a six-week summer workout program going. We came in working hard and fired up. They were ready for a win,” Tedeschi said.
Junior right fielder Maya Harris says that the program allowed the team to improve the skills they needed.
“We did stuff that we actually had to work on. It wasn’t all running or conditioning, we kind of balanced it out,” Harris said.
“We felt amazing and it was a great win. We played the best we could, which was great.” – Kaitlyn Hooker, junior, third baseman
Junior shortstop Autumn Venson-Roscoe says that the team’s attitude also played a factor into their win against Greene County.
“(The team) went in there with confidence instead of our heads down. I told myself we were going to win even if we faced doomsday,” Venson-Roscoe said.
After this win, junior pitcher Hannah Gorman says that their team chemistry and attitude must be stronger if they want to win more games.
“Teamwork is probably the biggest thing, and it’s a mental thing because we don’t win a lot. We have to keep the mentality that one day it’s going to happen,” Gorman said.
The Lady Glads aim to handle their renewed attention in a professional manner by not letting it keep them away from their goals.
“We are going to celebrate and we are going to ride this victory train, but we also got to sit back and make sure that we are humble in our experiences so that we are ready for the next game,” Tedeschi said.
