by Russell Irons ‘19

Sherwood softball secured a 4-2 win in a home game against Clarksburg on April 9. Clarksburg was the first conference opponent. Despite Clarksburg’s stiff resistance, Sherwood remains undefeated and currently holds a 9-0 record.

The first 3 innings were a stalemate. The weather was near freezing, and both teams had trouble getting a piece of the ball. In the fourth inning, Clarksburg scored the first two runs of the game, and Sherwood answered with one. In the fifth inning, sophomore Maddie Wessling hit the game’s only home run. Tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Sherwood rose to the occasion and punished the ball. Back-to-back doubles yielded one run. The next hit should’ve been an easy out for Clarksburg, but the first baseman fumbled the ball, enabling another Sherwood score.

The seventh and final inning yielded little for Sherwood at bat, leaving Clarksburg with one more opportunity to mount a comeback. After hitting a double, sophomore Sam Combs struck out the next batter, followed by a double play to end the game.

Wessling had a stand-out performance both in the outfield and at bat. Wessling hit the game’s only homerun, and made multiple plays that resulted in outs. “The homerun was key, but I believe it takes a team to win a game and they came together to do just that,” said softball coach Ashley Barber-Strunk.

Throughout the game, the team communicated with a variety of gestures and phrases. For instance, when the player at bat shifted her hand to bunt, the midfielders shouted and everyone moved in. Another instrumental part of their success is the support. During the game, players in the dugout shout and cheer, pumping up their teammates and showing their support. “We are very big on being engaged the entire game with our communication and consistently being loud and cheering. They needed to come together and get fired up—,” said Barber-Strunk.

Sherwood softball is as talented and cohesive as ever. They are undefeated once more, and are most definitely going to see the postseason. As one of Sherwood’s best sports teams, turnout at softball games is minimal. The game schedule can be found on the Sherwood Athletics site. Come out and show support for Warrior Softball at home against Walt Whitman High School on Tuesday, May 1.