West Springfield High School’s Terriers Softball team prepares to play against Easthampton on Monday, May 12 at 4:00, home at Mittineague Park. The team will celebrate their seniors with a ceremony after the game. The team currently holds a 5-7 record.
The spring season began with a home game victory of 25-14 against Chicoppe Comprehensive High School on April 1. This win motivated the Terriers as they faced some competitive teams this season. After spring break, the Terriers went 2 for 4. They put up a good fight competing against Agawam High School where, after being in the lead, they unfortunately let the Brownies score three runs in the sixth inning. The Terriers lost to Agawam 5-2. However, they went on to win against Monson High School, a team that had defeated them in the past, with a score of 9-6. But they lost again, this time to South Hadley High School, 7-1.
Terrier motivation remains high despite some losses, mostly because senior leadership is strong this season. According to Assistant Coach Katie Barrett, “ All of our seniors have played varsity [softball] in their previous season,” and it shows! Senior players have made some noteworthy achievements this season, including Morgan Peabody, who recently celebrated her 100th career hit. In West Side’s recent game against Holyoke High School, which they won 5-4, Peabody hit a triple in the second inning securing that record.
As they proceed throughout the rest of the season, the team’s plan is to play hard! The players are looking forward to some healthy competition, putting forth their personal bests, and, of course, winning! As Coach Barrett said, “It is important to come into every game with an optimistic viewpoint.” With only three regular season games left, the team will need that positive mindset to prepare for the playoff games, which are currently scheduled for May 19th and 20th. However, those dates are likely to change.
