GIRLS’ SOFTBALL SPORT SHORTS, 2013-14–
Scrimmages do not count toward win/loss record. Visit the Sports Section for girls’ softball features. For a simple overview of scores and upcoming games, check the Spring sport box scores: 2014 for dates, opponents and times for all Eagle sports.

Be sure to visit the 2013-14 girls’ softball schedule, home page or check out Maxpreps.com. The Eagles are currently 4-7-1 overall and 1-4 in the West Sequoia League as of April 22. The Eagles will next play against the Caruthers Blue Raiders, April 24.

FC DEFEATED BY MINARETS, 4-2
FC hosted the Minarets Mustangs in their tenth overall and third league game of the season, April 7.

In the first two innings, neither team scored, promising a close rest of the game. The Eagles managed to hold Minarets scoreless in their third ups, and in the bottom of the third inning put the first run of the game across. The score remained 1-0, FC, for the fourth and fifth innings, as both teams were shut down offensively by the other.

The Mustangs took the lead during the sixth inning, putting their first two runs on the board during their ups and holding the home team to one run scored. After preventing Minarets from scoring in the top of the seventh inning, the Eagles scored one run in their at bat, tying the game and sending both teams into overtime.

Both teams held each other scoreless for three extra innings, keeping the score tied at 2-2 despite numerous runners on base throughout each inning for Minarets and FC. However, in the eleventh inning, the Mustangs scored two runs on a bases-loaded single, and as the Eagles were unable to meet the two-run challenge, the visiting team emerged victorious, 4-2, giving FC their fourth consecutive loss and bringing their league play record to 0-3.

Team captain Ashley Garcia, ’15, was pleased with the mental toughness displayed by the girls during this game, and glad to hear encouragement coming from the entire team.

“I think we kept our composure throughout the whole game well, and we played hard as a team,” Garcia said. “We brought each other up when we were down, and we were loud the whole game. I think we hit a little bit better, the pitching and catching were good, and we played really well as a team.”

Although this game showed major improvements in the Eagles’ mental game of softball, Garcia noticed some mental errors, especially in the area of base running. In addition to this, she believes that in order to succeed on offense, many players need to get out of an individual mentality and realize that the game is a team effort.

“We need to know what to do in situations when there are runners on base, we need to actually hit the ball and do it for the team instead of individually trying to hit it over the fences and smash it,” Garcia said. “Also, we need to execute the simple plays, and bunt or hit when we need to.

Knowing that the Eagles have a tough schedule ahead of them for the next couple of weeks, Garcia is aware that wins will require even more mental toughness and discipline from the entire team. Beyond that, the biggest adjustment she knows the girls must make is in their confidence level, because success requires belief in themselves and in their teammates.

“I think we need to be disciplined and have faith in ourselves as a team and as individual players,” Garcia said. “A lot of the people on our team are not very confident, so we need to work on our confidence. We?ve got to execute the simple plays, be smart on the base paths, not make stupid mistakes, and give 110% the whole game no matter how tired we are or where we are.”

The Eagles will next travel to play the Caruthers Blue Raiders at 4 p.m., April 24.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @JennaWeimer42. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more information, read the Apr. 22 article, Softball sport shorts: Fowler.