From the Bleachers: Washingtonville Softball - Wizards vs. Minisink Valley Warriors
By: Marquis Frias
On Monday, April 30th, the Wizard’s varsity softball team played a home game against the Minisink Valley Warriors. The 2 division rivals entered the game in very different situations.
For Minisink, they came into Washingtonville with a 7-3 record under their belt, coming off a 6-5 walk off victory against the Valley Central Vikings.
Meanwhile, for Washingtonville, the girls have had a struggling 2024 campaign. They had lost to Cornwall 11-2 in their last game, and entered this game with a 1-8 record. The Wizards earned their first win of the year a few days prior, beating Port Jervis 8-4.
This was the second meeting between the 2 division rivals, as on opening day the Wizards lost to Minisink by a score of 12-0.
To begin the game, Minisink showed the strength of their bats early, having scored three runs in the first inning and four runs in the third inning.
The Wizards then answered back, as in the bottom of the third inning, with a runner on second and third base, junior Brooke Steinberg hit a double to left field. Kristen Allen and Caroline Brennan were able to make it home safely, putting the Wizards on the board and making the score 7-2.
The scoring would halt for two innings though, as both teams were able to get it done with their gloves but not so much with their bats. This would all change, though, because the Warriors went on to score seven runs in the top of the sixth, making the score 14-2. The Wizards weren’t able to score a run in the bottom of the sixth, which would lead to the game ending in a mercy rule in the sixth inning.
Although having a troubling year, they have shown love for the sport of softball. There are only smiles all around the dugout and the field during the games, and the bonds between the coaches and players are very strong.
After the game, senior starting pitcher for the Wizards, Izzy Dubose, stated, “Once we start fixing the little errors I believe we could be very successful. We are really eager to win but we also want to have fun.”
The girls will look to turn things around as they take on the Monticello Panthers in a double header on Wednesday, May 1st. Be sure to support the girls’ softball team by attending all possible games.