North Forsyth’s Lady Raiders Junior Varsity softball team competed with South Forsyth on August 29, finishing the game with a disappointing score of 8-3 and a loss for the Lady Raiders.

However, regardless of how the score might sound, the JV team put up a tough fight. The first inning passed without either team scoring. Freshman pitcher, Sarah Lowe, started the inning with two strikeouts and a pop-up to the third baseman, freshman Katie Safarty, in foul territory.

In the second inning, South gained some momentum after an error by North and then a double, scoring the first run of the game. Regardless, Lowe retained composure, striking out two more batters and forcing one to pop up to first base.

The JV Lady Raiders came back in the second inning, scoring two points with a fantastic double by freshman Anslee Anderson, who scored two runs and put her team in the lead.

With a score of 2-1 and the Lady Raiders ahead, the game remained tight until the fourth inning when the team’s composure appeared to slip. Despite the Lady Raider’s best efforts, South Forsyth scored six more runs, sealing their victory.

After the game, sophomore and starting shortstop for the Lady Raiders, Brooke Black, says, “I think it was a matter of attitude. When we got down, there was no way of getting everyone back up. We started off good, hitting, being positive and loud, but we got down.”

“My hit got everyone excited!” says freshman Kyleigh Sanders, regarding her double in the fourth inning that gave North fans a hope of coming back. With the help of a bunt by freshman McCall Thomas, her hit scored as the third point for the Lady Raiders. “It got everyone pumped,” Sanders continued. “It set the tone of the game to be positive. I was proud of myself. Even though we lost, we tried our best.”

North Forsyth’s JV Lady Raiders truly did their best, including at least two doubles in the lineup and five strikeouts from pitcher Sarah Lowe. Still, the team collectively seems to agree that attitude would have been the catalyst to pull them through to victory.

“At the beginning, we were positive, but as the other team kept scoring, our effort and attitude sort of sunk,” comments sophomore left fielder, Ali Buffington. “We need to do more team-building and help each other out, rather than feeling sorry for ourselves. I feel like tonight was just a rough game, but the rest of the season will be good.”

The Lady Raiders play again Thursday at Lambert, Sept. 1, after the Varsity’s game at 5 p.m.