Phoenix varsity softball faced off against the Heritage Pride on Monday, April 4. Opening in the field, junior Rishita Valluru (8) started on the mound for the night, switching off with junior Maddy Springer (6) later in the game. Although the Phoenix tried to fend off the Pride, the Pride took control of the game winning 16-0 after five innings. 

Even with the loss, the Phoenix took this game as a learning experience to put players in new positions. “We had new people playing in positions they’d never played before and they did a really good job,” Springer said. Springer cherishes the sport, especially with the opportunity it provides “to make new friends,” along with teamwork and collaboration skills. 

While the team has numerous new players this year, they are still making progress. “We made some good plays,” junior Dhaya Barath said. “I’m proud of our team for doing what they did.” The team was able to put up a good fight against the heritage pride with strong defensive plays. Assistance Coach Paul Koch commended Tanisha Desai for her improved defense. 

Koch also said that the new players continue to grow as the season progresses, “We have some really really polished players that know what they’re doing, and we have a lot of players for whom it’s their  first experience playing,” Koch said. “To have this diverse group is a little challenging, but the nice thing is the students who are good are really helping along the new players and the new players are putting in a lot of effort to get better.” 

The girls varsity softball team has their next game on April 29 at Riverside High School.

Gallery • 7 Photos

Prajna Chakravarty

Pitching the ball, junior Rishita Valluru (8) aims to strike out the batter in the first inning. Valluri pitched 4 out of the 5 innings for this game, striking out five Heritage players.