Softball Team Loses in 1st Round of Playoffs after Dominating Regular Season

Carolyn Taveras and Tiago Neves|June 9, 2023

Captain Sofia Gomez leads the team in a chant prior to their playoff match-up with Seward Park.

The girls’ softball team saw a crushing 4-8 defeat against Seward Park on May 31 in the first round of the citywide division B playoffs. A win was feasible until the seventh inning when the Setters gave up three runs.

Pitcher Ciara Garcia winds up to pitch against Chelsea Tech High School in the last game of the regular season. (Carolyn Taveras)

The team has seen small improvements between this season and last. Coach Rothschild believes the team “still has room for improvements” but the season was “a step in the right direction.”

Rothschild credits this season’s 11-3 record to the returning juniors who showed up– specifically star pitcher Sofia Gomez, catcher Jalissa Thomas, and pitcher/third base Ciara Garcia.

The team had a stronger bullpen this season even with the loss of Faith Howes, the starting pitcher from last season. This was due to the sheer star power from Gomez and the ability of others like Garcia to pick up the art of pitching so quickly. Even junior Aminata Barry threw a few balls at the mound when Gomez and Garcia weren’t available.

Center fielder Aiche Kouyate winds up to bat. (Tiago Neves)

Despite there being only one senior on the team, these three players have brought the leadership that the team desperately needed. As Gomez stated, the lack of senior representation on the team didn’t deter them from being a solid and family-oriented team. The juniors, making up the majority, really stepped up and made sure that the team stayed on track and in the right direction.