Softball |

By: Baylee Dorcey

It was a rather successful year for the Sterling softball team. The start of the season was rocky, with four losses to kick-off the season, but the team quickly managed to turn it around. With a combination of hard work and effort, they made it to the playoffs. They ended the season 11-11. Both the coaches and team consider it a successful year.

Kaitlyn Filer is a junior who plays left field. In 2018, she hopes to make varsity and enjoy her final year of softball.  Her favorite memory from the 2017-2018 season is when she ran from third base to home, missed the tag and scored. When asked what her biggest regret was she said she wished she caught more balls.

Filer’s advice to future players is “Follow your heart and don’t give up.”

Brooke Polenz is a senior who plays short-stop and has loved softball for as long as she can remember. She is proud of her team due to the vast amounts of improvements that were made this season, but one thing she would change about this year is the outcome of the state tournament. Polenz stated that she’d miss the friendships made through years playing softball at SHS. Her favorite memory of this season was the bus rides to and from tournaments, and all the fun she had with her team along the way.

“We’d listen to music and talk. It was a lot of fun.” Polenz said.

Polenz’s advice to future players is “Always give it your all and play every game like it’s your last.”

Coach Maggie Kilmer has been a Lady Tiger softball coach for the last 3 years.

“There was quite a bit of improvement and we made it to the playoffs, so it’s been a good year,” Kilmer said.

Her favorite memory of this year was the first inning of the state tournament. The first and third hitters both hit home runs, which got the team off to a good start.

Kilmer’s advice to future players is “Always get as much experience as you can.”

Marty Smock is the assistant coach for the SHS softball team.

“We’re losing five seniors, all five very good, productive parts of our team, but with that being said, we have two freshmen pitchers and a sophomore pitcher… with all the players we have and the new players coming in, I’d say Sterling has a very bright future for the next 4-5 years.” Smock said regarding the seniors, and the team altogether.

His biggest regret of the year was the injuries the team sustained over the course of the season.

Smock’s advice to future players is “Always work hard enough to be at your best.”

As Smock has predicted, the years will be bright with all the wonderful future and present players of the Sterling Lady Tigers Softball team. Their ability to make a turn-around from four losses to eleven wins and eleven losses provides reason to be optimistic for the next season. While this season may not have made it out of the park, as the old saying goes… There’s always next year!