This year the Lady Raiders softball team won the region championship against South with a score of 5-3. After battling for seven grueling innings, the Lady Raiders broke free and won.

When interviewed before the game about the season so far, senior Brooke Black said, “I think, in my eyes, this season has probably been the best season out of all four years I’ve been here. We’ve battled back on every game, haven’t given up, we’ve gone a lot farther than I expected this team to. I’ve been really proud of us.” Black, a second baseman, could not wait to play and believed that her team could win the game if they gave it their all and never gave up.

Assistant Coach Pilar Harden talked about how the team was “extremely focused tonight”. Harden also talked about how even though they were down nine to nothing in the game the night before they came back to win in the eighth inning.  Harden believed the young women had “nothing but fight and heart for this game and fight and heart for each other” on and off the field. She was nothing less than proud of all the girls on the team for fighting through and staying ahead for the entire game until they won.

All of the older girls on the team have fought long and hard to get where they are now, and they inspire the freshman to want to play as hard as they possibly can next year when they are sophomores.  Lauren Fields, a freshman on the team, talks about how “looking forward to being on the field is exciting, because it shows me that I’m playing a role in helping my team win. And in the position that we are in right now, it’s really exciting when I get an opportunity to go in the game [be]cause I feel like I’m helping my team’s chances in doing something we’d really like to achieve.” Fields, even though she was is a freshman, cannot wait to play a starting role so she can help the team win more games next year and possibly go even further than they did this year.

Throughout the game, it was a constant battle to stay ahead for the Lady Raiders. Gaining two points in the second and seventh inning and one in the fourth, the Raiders did not let South take the lead, though South got one point in the second, fourth, and seventh innings as well.

Interviews:

Brooke Black, 12th Grade, Second Base

So far, since the season is about to end, how has your season gone in your eyes?

“I think, in my eyes, this season has probably been the best season out of all four years I’ve been here. We’ve battled back on every game, haven’t given up, we’ve gone a lot farther than I expected this team too. I’ve been really proud of us.”

How are you feeling about the game tonight?

“I think tonight if we all come out ready to play like we did last night and be able to come back then we’re going to do great and we will win”

Going into college, since you are a senior, are you looking to do softball as a pro?
“It used to be something that I was looking forward to going into in college but then I felt like my chances slowly went down over the years into going into college ball so I’m just trying to finish out the year the best I can and be done before college.”

Ali Buffington, 12th grade, Outfielder

What is your position on the field?

“Outfield, always, nowhere else”

Do you enjoy being an outfeilder?
“Yes, very much so.”

What do you do as an outfeilder?

“Back the infielders up, support the infielders, and anyone else.”

Have you played any other position in softball?

“I’ve played outfield since I was five and I haven’t played anywhere else.”

How do you feel the season’s been going and how do feel it’s going to go in the future?

“Well we’ve done better than I expected, so that was good. We haven’t gotten comfortable and

we’ve become a team that hasn’t given up all season.”

Would you say the team has very good teamwork that has helped get them this far?

“Yes, I don’t think we could be any better.”

Pilar Harden

As you onlook the team and see how they’ve been doing and see how they get prepared each night, how do you feel about their actions?

“I think they’re extremely focused tonight. Last night I think was really good for them. Y’know we were down nine to nothing in the first inning and they came back and won in the eighth. So, this team has nothing but fight and heart for this game and fight and heart for each other, so I think it’s incredible what they’ve done and I’m pumped. Like when I look at them and see how they’ve warmed up today, I can see it in their eyes.”

Compared to the last games, are they most excited for this game or was there a previous game they were more excited for?

“I think they’re excited about all region games throughout like the regular season but now that this is the region tournament, I think that they’re absolutely pumped. Y’know we’re going into tonight with a win and if we win tonight, we win the region tournament. So I think that they’re pretty excited about that because it’s the best two out of three”

When you look at the seniors that are going to be going into college next year, how does that make you feel?

“I hate to see ‘em leave y’know. I’ve been here for two years so obviously I’ve gotten pretty attached to this group, but, I mean, they’re incredibly young women and they’re going to do awesome things. They’re gonna go and be extremely successful young women. They’re great students, great athletes. I think that they have the whole world ahead of them and I wish them the absolute best. I hate to see them leave, it makes me so sad, but they’ll be on to bigger and more awesome things. Better things to come for them, I’m sure of it. So sad to see ‘em leave.”

Ali Jones, 9th grade, Infield

This being your first year on the team, how has this experience affected you so far?

“While I grew up, I always went to my sister’s softball games and it’s just weird cause it’s like I’m doing what she always did growing up so it’s kinda surreal, but it’s been fun.”

How are you seeing the seasons to come up until you’re a senior going?

“I mean, we started off this year strong. We could be region champs so I feel like we have a bright future and hopefully get better.”

Seeing the seniors and juniors out playing their hardest, how does it make you feel?

“It makes me wanna strive for more in the season and potentially get to that place, actually playing and being a starting role on the team, eventually, through my softball career.”

Lauren Fields, 9th grade, Infield

How is your transition from middle school into getting to play and seeing the high school team?

“It’s really eye-opening to how much more competitive it is in high school compared to the middle school teams and it gives me a sense of motivation to play better when there’s more competition.”

How are you liking or how are you adjusting into the high school team?

“I’m really enjoying it. There are a lot more people to meet and interactions to make and you make a lot of friendships and strong bonds throughout the team.”

How has looking forward to being on the field affecting you?

“Looking forward to being on the field is exciting because it shows me that I’m playing a role in helping my team win and in the position that we are in right now it’s really exciting when I get an opportunity to go in the game cause I feel like I’m helping my team’s chances in to doing something we’d really like to achieve.”

Looking into tonight’s game, are you looking forward to it? How are you thinking it’s going to go?

“I’m really excited to play in this game cause last night’s performance by my team was very impressive and very exciting and it just kinda motivates me to keep pushing hard cause we are at the championship and if we win this game we are the region champs so it’s very motivating to work towards this win tonight.”

If you did end up winning this game and being the region champs, how do you think the team and you would feel?

“I think we would all feel very accomplished. It’s a lot to think about when you say that your region champs. Some people may not take it as seriously, others may see it as a very big accomplishment and that’s how me and my team see it. We are very impressed with ourselves and proud of how we played throughout the season.”