There was a gap. After the majority of varsity softball players graduated and moved on last year, the team was left in desperate need of players. Only two players were returning. The coaches, Bob Dunahue and Mike Freedline, turned to the sophomores: an up-and-coming bunch of young players.

“[The sophomore girls] are getting better,” assistant coach Mike Freedline said. “It was a slow process at first but they’re catching up to the varsity level.”

For the sophomore girls, varsity is a new venture. Players like sophomore Audrey Sevier, pitcher and first baseman, have never played on a varsity softball team before. It takes extra effort, extra motivation and an intense determination to perform well on a more demanding level.

“For me it was kind of scary,” Sevier said. “You show up for freshman and JV games and it’s kind of relaxed, but with varsity it’s different. I didn’t know what to expect and that part was scary.”

Senior Lily St. John is a returning player to the varsity team. She has had a front row seat to the passing of the graduates and the development of the new players joining the team.

“Honestly, so far it’s going good,” St. John said. “A lot of the girls have played outside of high school ball so they kind of know what’s going on. We hold our own against the older teams.”

In the end, softball is a team sport. It is not only a fight for the fresh-picked sophomores, but a fight for the juniors and seniors to help them grow and succeed in their sport. To win a game, each position is necessary. To be a better player, a good community is necessary.

“Teamwork is definitely the most important part of softball,” St. John said. “If you don’t work together, all the moving parts don’t work as one. You have to look at it as a machine. Everyone is a part of the machine. Everyone keeps it running.”