The  varsity softball season has come to a disappointing end, but that does not discredit all of the hard  work and improvements that were made throughout the spring. 

The team picked up four victories in a row with wins against Rockville, Einstein, Poolesville and Gaithersburg. These wins were highlighted by a three-run homerun from senior captain Lizzie Nelson to cap off her senior night against Gaithersburg on May 5. “It feels absolutely insane and I’m so happy we won senior night. I hit the homerun against my friend so it was kind of funny saying ‘hi’ to her afterwards,” Nelson said.

With such a young and talented team, the Patriots finally put everything together. The recent success to end the regular season was no mistake; the girls have been working day in and day out on their individual and team skills. The team had confidence going into the playoffs and hopes of continuing their winning streak. 

The weather made it difficult to practice, pouring for days in a row, but the girls made it work by practicing indoors to touch up their game going into the much anticipated playoff game against rival Churchill. 

Last year, the team also faced off against Churchill in the first round of playoffs and, coming back from a deficit, they were able to win on a walk-off single in extra innings. The girls had no doubt that they could pull off this same upset again this year.

The day finally came. The girls traveled to Churchill on May 12, with nothing but winning in mind. Churchill has a high-powered offense and a crisp defense, making them hard to beat. The Patriots were playing without star junior pitcher Karen Potts, who led the team in batting average. Nevertheless, the Patriots came out with energy, scoring several runs early on. However, it was not enough to come out with the victory as the girls fell 16-4 to end their season. 

The team plays in a tough division, with opponents like Churchill, BCC, and Whitman always finishing toward the top of the county. This makes it difficult to make a run in the playoffs, always facing off against the best teams first. 

This isn’t the last time the girls will be seeing each other. They have formed bonds that will last a lifetime. “I have four more years in college, but I am still sad because I won’t be able to play with this same group again,” Nelson said.