The varsity softball team had a dominant performance, defeating the Lake Howell Silver Hawks, 11-1, on Thursday, Feb. 19. 

At the top of the third inning, Lake Howell was winning 1-0, but when Hagerty went up to bat at the bottom of the third, the momentum shifted, and they scored three runs. Sophomores Channing Uddin and Ariana Hardman and junior Alina Gallaher scored those points for the team. 

“In the third inning, Uddin got on base, and we all just started hitting, and we all started cheering; you could feel the energy and the momentum built off of that,” freshman pitcher Bella Ortiz said.

Ortiz recorded 91 total pitches, 60 of which were strikes, significantly contributing to the win. Behind every successful pitcher is a solid connection with their catcher: in this case, sophomore Campbell Downing. Downing and Ortiz worked on framing to prepare for the game against the Silver Hawks. Framing is when the catcher subtly moves her glove to make it appear to the umpire as a strike. Downing believes that their work paid off. 

“Framing is important because Bella throws at a high velocity, she struck out a lot of people, and it was really good,” Downing said. 

The dominant performance was seen throughout the rest of the game, with one run being scored in the fourth inning, five runs scored in the fifth inning, and two runs scored in the sixth inning. Hardman had three runs, Gallaher had two runs, and sophomore Sami Gartner had two runs. 

Before every game, team captains Nikki Thompson and Gallaher lead a team prayer. The team also takes a walk to clear their heads and strategize for the game ahead. 

“It helps us focus and remember that we are playing this game for Him, and it allows us to all come together and have a game plan before we play,” Thompson said.

Looking ahead, they will face the Deltona Wolves at home on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Tickets can be found on gofan.co.