Tyler Hertzler, Tamara McConnell and Brookelynn Taylor

Writers

Swinging for the fences, Marlow High School’s Lady Outlaw softball team has set their aspirations high after a homerun start to their season.

The Lady Outlaws have been known as fierce competition for District Tournaments, especially after earning District Runner-Ups this past season, and they have set the bar high to continue a successful season.

Hoping to top their past seasons records with a win count of 24 with only 9 losses, the Lady Outlaw Softball team has strived to beat their team performance.

Having played their first game of the season against the Lexington Bulldogs on August 10, the Lady Outlaws ushered in an 8-3 victory that set the stage for their future successes of the season totaling eight wins and four losses.

While the team lost against schools such as the Kingston Redskins and the Comanche Chiefs, the group drew motivation from the losses and strived to continue developing their techniques.

Being the only senior on the team, committed senior and left fielder Jenna Wade explained what she learned from their bumps in the road and how it instead built the team’s determination towards improvement.

“I think what we learn from our losses is that we need to persevere to become successful and that we are capable of even more success,” Jenna Wade said. “I think that if we didn’t lose earlier this season, we wouldn’t be where we are right now.”

The spirited left fielder also described the group’s perseverance as their greatest strength and how they plan to use their grit to reach their goal of being top three in the District Tournament which will be held Sept. 25.

“Some goals our team has set for this season are to become at least top three in our district, to get a little better everyday, and to have consistency at bats.” Jenna Wade said. “We’re all ready to swing for the fences.”

With the players having their own aspirations towards honing their abilities, the team had multiple practices during the summer to troubleshoot their perceived weak points such as consistently hitting the ball. 

They also focused on team chemistry.

As the center fielder for the Lady Outlaw softball team, sophomore Whitney Wade mentioned the deep bond the members have for one another, citing it as the backbone of the players’ incentive for success.

“I think that we have a great team bond, and it shows that we can do anything we put our mind to,” Whitney Wade said. “We know that good or bad that they are there for us in the end, and it pushes us to be better.”

Every year, the Lady Outlaws choose a certain theme to base their mentality and goals on, this year’s being “anchor down,” a theme that urges the players to stay strong through chaos and to be each other’s rocks.

When asked about their yearly goals, Assistant Coach Julie Turner describes the girls’ hopes to apply their theme to push beyond their limits.

“With only one senior to help us this year, their hope is to come together,” Turner said. “They want to be the best they can be at the end of the season.”

With high hopes and strong mindsets, the Lady Outlaws competed in their first tournament on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 at Plainview High School against strong competitors such as the Durant Lions, Lexington Bulldogs and the Valiant Bulldogs.

With their first game against the Ringling Blue Devils softball team, the girls dominated their opponents in securing the win 5-1.

Continuing their winning streak, the girls were then pitched against the Durant Lions softball team and the outlaws gained a victory of 7-0

The Outlaws competed in their third game during the Plainview tournament against Lexington, who they had previously been defeated by earlier in the season.

Following their history with the Lexington Bulldogs, the girls came out on top, yet again taking the win 7-3 and securing their spot in the fourth and final game of the tournament.

Teamed against the Valliant Bulldogs, the girls were victorious with a 7-6 win, earning them the title of Plainview Tournament Champions.

With a promising season ahead of them, the MHS Lady Outlaw softball team aspires to grow in their talents and spirit, one home-run at a time.

The Lady Outlaws will return to the field swinging at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7 in a game against Lindsay at the Outlaw home softball field.