Following an intense back-and-forth districts battle against FZW last Thursday, the varsity softball team’s season ended with a shocking 7-6 loss. The team was up by a run at the start of the sixth inning, but after a FZW batter, Lexi Barnes, junior, nailed a three-run homer, the team couldn’t make up the lost ground.

After beating FZW twice through the regular season, once at FHC and once on their home turf, it came as a surprise that the team was unable to keep up at districts, again with FHC’s home field advantage, but a victory would not come. Regardless, according to senior Liz Harmon, centerfielder, both teams were leaving everything on the field.

“It was the max of both of our teams,” Harmon said. “There wasn’t much more we could have done; we did the best we could.”

Harmon’s spirits were not crushed though, as she was satisfied with the season in her eyes.

“It was a great season for us, honestly. We really pulled together.” she explained.

Yet, though leaving the field as victors, FZW didn’t win effortlessly. According to senior Kaitlyn Chadwick, catcher, the teams pushed each other hard.

“They definitely had to earn [the victory],” Chadwick said. “You could definitely tell the determination from both sides, we just fell short.”

The spirits were high for some, and low for others, one of them being the coach, Chadwick explained.

“[The coach] was proud of what we’ve done all year,” she said. The coach should be proud, as this team has tried their best and put their all into their sport.

Following the loss, for senior Lizzie Orf, first baseman, the game was a let down, as it was for all others as well.

“It was a bitter moment. I thought we were gonna make it to the finals at districts,” Orf said. “I was not expecting us to lose. Even though it was a close game, it made us really mad. I was upset.”

Harmon was also hit hard by the loss, especially after beating FZW twice before.

“It’s definitely hard when we beat them two times in a row during the season…and then for them to come up and beat us in the district game. It’s really hard, and it’s really frustrating,” Harmon said.

Although the team was saddened by the sudden end, she was hopeful for the team that was to follow in her’s and her fellow seniors’ footsteps.

“I hope [the upcoming underclassmen] can do as well as we did,” she said. “We were basically a senior kind of team for varsity, but there were many others [besides seniors] who contributed.”

Along with Orf, other seniors agreed wholeheartedly. One of them, Chadwick, added both positive and negative perspective.

“[The sophomores and juniors] always have a chance, but we are losing seven seniors,” she explained, “The JV team is going to have to stand up and fight for us.”

As with all stories, theirs too must come to an end, but the end of this season marks the beginning of a new, more determined story for the varsity softball team. The team is already mobilizing for another season as successful as this, and another starshot at districts in the future.

“There’s definitely going to be more tension [between us and FZW] in the future. [The next varsity team] is going to want to beat them even more, since they’ve done it two years in a row now,” Harmon said. “I would definitely be more proud if we would’ve won, but I’m still definitely proud of my team, we definitely did our best, and we worked hard.”

Orf concurred.

“This is the end; there’s nothing more for us seniors,” Orf said. “I am definitely proud of what I’ve done. I have no regrets this year at all about any play or anything I did on the field – I put it all out there – and that’s all I can do really.”

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