“The energy was electric from the bench,” junior Cate O’Connor said, as the softball team cheered at the Lincoln Park South Fields on Friday, April 28. The cause of the celebration was that the team defeated Latin at the Romans’ field for the third consecutive time. They won by doubling the Romans’ score, ending the game at 26-13.

On Monday, April 24, the Parker Girls’ softball team faced off against the Latin Romans at Parker’s home field, Stanton Park. The team won the first game with a score of 18-17. During their next game against Latin on Friday, April 28, the team beat Latin, this time on the Romans’ field. These two games mark the ongoing continuation from last year of Parker softball defeating Latin.

The softball team was also awarded with the Independent School League title for having the most wins and runs among the five member schools. This is Parker softball’s first title and will earn them a banner in the Big Gym.

The game on Monday went smoothly for Parker throughout the first six innings, with Parker girls taking the lead. However, during the seventh inning, things started to shake up.

“After letting in a lot of runs in the top of the seventh, by the bottom of the inning, we were down by four with two outs,” O’Connor said. In softball games, there are typically only seven innings. However, instead of accepting defeat, the team used this as motivation to come back at the bottom of the seventh. 

O’Connor said, “It was a full team effort to score the first two runs, and from there, we had really strong momentum.” After that, junior Captain Alex Fidler, “bombed it, and the energy was electric from the bench,” O’Connor said, as Fidler scored a home run and brought two of her teammates home. “It really showed what our team can do,” O’Connor said. The win really helped the team gain confidence, and another win against Latin is always appreciated. 

Going into the next game against Latin on Friday, April 28, Fidler said, “we had kind of broken down that barrier. I knew that we would be able to beat them by a lot more the second time, and also, I felt really confident going into the second game.” Because of their win in the first game, the team felt prepared and fueled heading into the second matchup against Latin. When describing the players, Fidler said, “I knew how well the top to bottom of the batting order was, how well Quinn was pitching, and how well everyone was fielding. We were all just very cohesive, so I was very confident in the entire team.”

The confidence going into the game and the practices the team held leading up to the game all paid off. The team defeated the Romans by 13 points, 12 more than in the first game. 

The wins against Latin meant a lot to the team and showed how hard they have worked. Senior Captain Lucy Wrubel said that having the opportunity to beat Latin during her last season as an athlete for the Colonels was “everything and more.”