Lauren Repke ’15: This year’s EA Softball team has lived by the motto “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Led by senior captain Caroline Giles, this team has been on an upward spiral and is said to be the new “team to beat” in the Inter-Ac league. In the blink of an eye this squad is making a new name for the Episcopal Softball Program as they continue to shock the community with win after win. This stacked team of 18 girls, including sophomore-pitching sensation Alex Viscusi ’15, has proven themselves to be one of the best teams in the area.
After upsetting the defending Inter-Ac champs, Agnes Irwin, in a 7-6 nail-biting victory, all eyes have been on EA Softball to watch as they continue to amaze. “As soon as we stepped on that field I knew we were ready to fight. Going in as the underdog really pushed us to play that much harder and in the end it all paid off,” said third baseman Julianne Longen ’15 after reflecting on the team’s win.
Two days later EA yet again pulled out a surprising 2-1 win against Cardinal O’Hara. Gillian Smith ’15recapped their victory saying, “We go into every game with the mentality that anyone can beat any given team on any given day, which helped inspire and motivate us to pull out the win against a well respected and highly ranked team like O’Hara.” It seems that EA’s reputation as the underdog is finally being put to rest as their record proves their legitimacy. Although year after year the Inter-Ac tends to be one of the most competitive leagues in the area, EA Softball has risen to the top and thrived on not only individual accomplishments, but also success as a unit, which is evident in their outstanding record thus far in the season.
The supportive bond the girls have translates in their play, displaying their incredible unity in the heat of the game. First baseman Kate Ortlieb ’15 reflects on this stating, “Our team chemistry is the most important thing to us, because we believe that it will ultimately determine the outcome of our season.” The team and players fully embody what it means to be an Episcopal athlete by incorporating the stripes into not only their work ethic and passion on the field, but also with the motivational support and encouragement off of it. Their admirable team chemistry and talent will continue to shine and perhaps enable this year’s softball team to win the Inter-Ac for the first time ever in the program’s history.