The Cats’ softball season came to a close on May 13 as they fell to the Quince Orchard Cougars in the 4A West Regional Championship, 6-0. This was the second meeting between the two schools this season, and the Cougars have gotten the better of them both times.

The team had a strong close to the regular season against non-conference teams, going 3-1 before the playoffs. On April 27, they won a thrilling nail-biter against Northwest, 2-1, followed by a decisive 12-1 victory on April 30 against Springbrook. 

They split their final two games of the season, with an 11-3 loss against Damascus and a 20-7 win over Rockville, setting up a clash against familiar foe B-CC with a trip to the regional championship on the line. The Cats took care of business once again, beating the Barons 12-2. 

However, their strong end to the season in the playoffs ended when they lost 6-0 at Quince Orchard High School. 

“We couldn’t string together enough hits,” sophomore Logan Strbak said. “It was just unlucky for us.” 

Despite the loss, there is still plenty to celebrate. This historic group of seniors, including Addie Strbak, Ella Reynolds and Alina Bonior, became the first three softball players in WJ history to eclipse the 100-hit mark. 

“It was really exciting, it’s something that I had looked forward to doing since freshman year, and I was very happy to do it with my two other teammates,” Bonior said.

Another triumph of the season comes from a 4-1 record in divisional games against schools like Whitman, Churchill, Wootton and B-CC, which set the tone for games against teams in other regions. Additionally, the team stayed strong after a midseason coaching change, as Athletic Director Larry Hurd Jr. took over as head coach late in the season. 

“It’s been amazing, I knew a lot of the girls even before stepping in, so it was a smooth change,” Hurd said. 

Hurd provided a spark to an already strong group of girls. Through things like changing the practice regimen, he was determined to make sure they were always working hard.

“He had a lot of energy and seemed like he was always excited to coach us,” sophomore Lizzie Robinson said.

The team progressed as the season went on and their team morale couldn’t have been higher. They were all focused and played hard, no matter what the score was. 

“The main thing we were doing better with was keeping high energy even when we were down multiple runs, which helped us win close games,” Logan Strbak said.

Despite Hurd leaving WJ next fall, softball is on an upward trajectory with plenty of returning talent coming back next season, including Logan Strbak and Robinson, who will headline a strong group. 

“There were plenty of fantastic moments this year that this team can build on next season,” Hurd said. “This program can become anything.”