Eleven games through their 16-game regular season, the softball team has taken a solid position in the region’s standings, picking up key wins and sweeping their conference opponents. As of Wednesday afternoon, the team sat second behind Whitman High School, whose 9-3 record put them at the top of the region.
Led by senior captain and pitcher Sami Rosenberg at the circle, the team has made their mark with their signature explosive offense and solid defense.
Since the start of the season, the team has gone 8-3 and has averaged over 10 runs scored per game while giving up under 6 runs per game.
Highlights of the Wildcats’ season so far have included a walk-off double from sophomore Addie Strbak against Clarksburg on April 6, three home runs in one game from sophomore Ella Reynolds, senior Carly Gilder and senior Ellie Langley against Richard Montgomery on April 12 and a dominant 23-0 no-hitter win over Rockville High School on Thursday.
The Wildcats also swept their conference opponents in B-CC, Churchill, Whitman and Gaithersburg High Schools by a combined score of 41-13.
The team has also faced tough losses like an eighth-inning 11-10 loss to Blair on April 16 and a 10-2 defeat by Damascus HS on April 20. Despite these losses, the team remains confident in their playing.
“I think we have had plenty of offensive success and as long as our defense stays sharp there are not many teams that can beat us,” Gilder said.
The Wildcats’ strength of schedule for the remainder of their schedule is relatively favorable, with their next five opponents having an average of just three wins each. The team will next face off with Quince Orchard HS (3-7) on Saturday, April 27 at 2 p.m.
“[We need to work on] fielding. We make too many errors and need to get better with our defense. But going into the final stretch, we’re feeling pretty good. We’re ready for playoffs and we’re just excited to keep going,” Rosenberg said.
With playoffs just a couple of weeks away, the main thing for the Wildcats this season will be to finally make it past the state quarterfinal level which they have made twice in the past three years. Although the team has never made it to a state semifinal in school history, the feeling this year is different in the dugout.
“I’m really excited for playoffs. There are a few things we need to improve but I think we’re gonna go really far again this year,” Bonior said.
Based on the current region standings for playoffs, the Wildcats would receive a first-round bye before playing the winner of Gaithersburg and Quince Orchard High Schools.
