KorinaLiekhus

The JV softball team has been working hard this season, and has had great fun getting to know each other. Freshman Ameilia Spieker said, “My favorite memories are the team dinners and team bonding.” The seniors “make team bonding super fun for everyone and team dinners are with both teams.”  

Sophomore Lydia Liekhus said, “My favorite softball memory is supporting varsity.” The JV girls love supporting their Varsity Crusaders and enjoy cheering them on at games. 

The Varsity Crusaders have had quite the season. They have been getting to know the new girls and building their relationships with each other. The end of  the season for the Varsity Crusaders depends on the outcomes of their next tournaments. The season could last until Oct. 16, which is the date of the state championship. 

Spieker is a swing player for the Crusaders, meaning she plays for both JV and varsity. Spieker said, “My experience has been great. It’s very tiring playing on both teams, but it’s also very fun.”  

During practice, the girls work on situations such as bunt defense and throwing. They also work on ground balls and pop flys. At the beginning and end of practice, they do a circle talk where they talk about what they could do better and get in the mindset for practice. 

Warm-ups for the games include playing catch and drills with pop flys and ground balls. They also practice hitting, and the pitchers and catchers will warm up. These include the pitchers doing different drills to get their arms ready.  Sophomore Dakota Giwoyna said, “My favorite memory is catching in the bull pen.”  

These drills help with the release of the ball, or where the ball is supposed to go. These also help with the pitches such as a curveball and the screwball, because they require a different hold on the ball. Different pitches allow the pitcher to surprise the batter which could lead to a strike out. 

There are 12 girls on JV, and six girls swing JV and varsity. JV has gone 3-10 and Varsity has gone 9-11. Marian’s JV season ended on Sept. 29. 

Marian is excited to watch the rest of the crusader softball season. They play with heart, determination and a lot of teamwork.