South Softball Ends Season With Tough Loss Against Liberty

South softball finished their season with a close game that ended with a 4-8 loss against Liberty in the first round District game.

To prepare for the game, Coach Josh Walker made a defense based on each hitter on Liberty’s team. He hung these in the dugout for the players to study. Players made sure to be prepared in all ways.

“I got a good amount of sleep the night before and ate a good breakfast. I listened to music that pumped me up for the game, on the bus ride to Liberty,” said Sophomore Hadley Uribe.

Once the game had started, South and Liberty stayed scoreless for two innings. In the bottom of the third, Liberty was ahead by four with South trailing behind.

Chantice Phillips tripled in the fifth causing South’s dugout to get loud with excitement. Cassidy Taylor then shocked everyone by doubling and  scoring two with the score becoming tighter at 3-4. 

With Taylor on second base, Meggan Keller was up to bat with her teammates screaming behind her. Keller scores Taylor to tie the game at 4-4. South goes into the bottom of the sixth with a tied ball game and the fans on the edge of their seats. 

“The best part of the game was when we tied the game. Everyone was up on their feet and excited. There was so much hope for the rest of the game,” said Taylor.

Liberty comes back and scores four in the sixth causing South to trail behind again.  With Liberty’s runs scored, they end up winning the game when the Panthers could not come back.

“I was very sad when the game ended because I knew it was the last time I would play with these seniors. I was also proud of us because I know we played our hearts out,” said Uribe.

This year South did not have a pitcher, so senior Jessie Hagen and sophomore Annabelle Winter stepped up and pitched for the team. Neither pitched for their club team over the summer. They took on roles and gave up their own positions for the team. They both worked together in this tight district game.

Sophomore Jolie McMinn said, “This season was a lot of fun. We would have had an amazing season if we would have had an actual pitcher. We had two players that stepped up and did their very best. It was definitely a season to remember.”