The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School varsity softball team faced the Cardinal Gibbons High School Chiefs on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. on their home field. This was their third game of the season, and the Lady Eagles were hoping to bring themselves to a positive record, which had previously been tied 1-1.
“We put in the work and were feeling ready,” outfielder Antonia Nelke (5) said. “It is all about staying focused, sticking to our game plan and doing our best out there. If we do that, the win will come.”
The Lady Eagles started the game on defense, with the first inning tipping in their favor as the Chiefs initially failed to get a hit. Soon after though, the Chiefs obtained two hits, letting two runners gain first and second base. However, the Chiefs ultimately failed to score any runs. MSD subsequently failed to get a hit during their turn at bat, leaving the first inning’s score at 0-0.
The Chiefs took hold of the game soon after.
The second inning put the Chiefs in the lead. The Chiefs’ shortstop Dakota Williams (1) hit and advanced to second base. Then, Gibbons’ catcher Elana Elash (15) hit, giving the Chiefs time to make it to home base, effectively scoring the first run of the game. After an unsuccessful turn by the Lady Eagles at the plate, the second inning ended 0-1.
The third and fourth innings were uneventful, with no hits by the Lady Eagles and only one from the Chiefs. The Lady Eagles stepped up their defense during these two innings, but lacked offense with many pullbacks from their batters. Gibbons maintained their lead.
“We knew we had to make a change in our game,” outfielder Lucia Perez (6) said. “The other team was in the lead and while we were not playing poorly, we needed to up our offense.”
The fifth inning set the tone for the rest of the game. With the Lady Eagles on the field, the Chiefs gained consecutive hits at the plate. Over the course of the inning the Chiefs scored five runs, including a triple by outfielder Sloane Schaefer (7) and one home run by right-hand pitcher Lydia Berent (11), cementing their 0-6 lead. By the bottom of the fifth, despite a hit from catcher Myah Boleen (22), the Eagles failed to get a single run, ending the inning.
The 0-6 score stayed the same throughout the sixth and seventh innings of the game, which saw one hit by Gibbons in each inning, yet no substantial runs or bases gained from either team. By the end of the game, the Lady Eagles had lost 0-6, making their record 1-2.
“Despite the outcome of this game, we hope to come back even stronger for the next one,” head coach Sami Kelley said. “We plan to practice harder to be more prepared for our next match coming soon.”
The Eagles’ next game will be played at 5 p.m. against Pompano Beach High School on Monday, March 3.
