The softball team said goodbye to five seniors before their last home game on Oct. 2 against the Mid-Buchanan Dragons. The varsity team fell to the Dragons with a final score of 12-18. Post-game the players gathered for a team dinner to say goodbye and roast each senior. Softball Head Coach Mike Dryer is disappointed to see the seniors go but is excited to see what their futures hold.

“It’s probably the most pleasant group of kids that have gone through [the softball program and] that’s why it was so hard for the young ones to roast them after the game Monday night,” Dryer said.

The season officially ended on Oct. 4 after the team’s 12-2 loss to Richmond High School in the first round of the district tournament. Although the team lost, the season still ended on a high note with a standout pitching performance by freshman Sharon Kramschuster and a double play to end the third inning after a ground ball hit to second basemen senior Sarah Schaffer, according to Schaffer. Schaffer believes that the team did better this postseason this year than last.

“Our main goal for districts was to play as hard as possible and leave it all out on the field,” Schaffer said. “We worked really hard this season to get to this point and I definitely think that we were able to perform at our peak level in districts.”

The seniors posed as role models to the underclassmen on the team and demonstrated great leadership, according to teammates. All five seniors set high standards for the team and were determined to drive them to success.

“The seniors have been so great to play with the last couple years. They’ve been like moms to the team and there is truly never a dull moment with them,” Bair said. “They contributed strength, laughs, and wisdom and we’ll miss them a lot next year.”

Although following in the footsteps of such great seniors may be challenging, Schaffer and her fellow seniors are confident that the team will be in good hands next year with the guidance of the juniors. This season there were only two juniors on the team but Dryer knows that they will also provide good guidance for the underclassmen and is confident in their leadership skills.

“I think next year the team will be in great hands, the juniors are amazing girls who know how to balance working hard and taking time to laugh and become a team,” Schaffer said. “The underclassmen are just as great role models for younger girls and I think the team will thrive next year.”