By Papa Kojo Ampim-Darko
ampimdar@grinnell.edu
Softball tied four school records during their game against Knox College, providing the best possible start to a week which will determine their place in the conference tournament.
For seniors Sidney Litke ’19, Mikyla Murphy ’19, Ashley Wehrenberg ’19, Emily Jordan ’19, Lily Seibert ’19 and Abigail Thomson ’19, the amazing performance of the team held even more significance, as it coincided with Senior Day, on which they were recognized for their commitment and involvement with the team.
Wehrenberg, who tied the school records of four hits and three doubles, recognized that the weekend’s result was a collective effort, saying, “I think we just had a really good weekend all together. It was a really good team weekend, everyone got to do something, which was amazing. [The seniors] also performed well and we had some of the most fun and energetic games we’ve had in our careers.” She added, “I feel like I did well on Saturday. On Friday I was really struggling against IC, so it felt good to be able to perform well on Senior Day.”
With the final home games of the season coming up this week, Wehrenberg was understandably sad about ending her softball career, but noted that the season was not over yet. “We want to put everything out there and end on a high note. We are extremely proud of what we’ve done and gone through as a group, and we just hope to have the best last season we possibly can. … Softball will always be a major part of our lives, and we just hope that the program we have helped build will continue to improve and grow,” she said.
This appreciation for the team, and for the community that it has helped foster, was also noticed by Mya Davis ’21. She said, “I think a really huge part of this season has been the team chemistry and the bonding that we got out of it.”
Considering the team’s performance so far this season, which has led to a fourth place ranking in the Midwest Conference with six games left to play, Davis said, “I think being able to all come together with a common goal [of making it to Conference] has been huge for us. I think that that really puts that trust in each other which has helped us be successful as well.”
Davis, who hit a home run and a single in Saturday’s game, added that the work of the season is not done, saying, “We have eight games left in the season. Six of them are conference, and they’re all this week. So it’s going to be a pretty big week for us. … We’re trying to win all of them to secure that spot at conference.”
Wehrenberg shared a similar sentiment, saying, “I just want to play well and help my team make it to conference … We’re just trying to make sure that we can secure that and make sure we do what we need to do and not [have] to rely on how other teams do to propel us forward into conference.”
The Pioneers will be back in action on Saturday, April 27 against Ripon College in Janesville, WI.