April 16, 2024
By Nikalena Iacono
Editor
The softball team, which consists of six returning players and eight new players, brought home a 21-2 win at their season opener on April 3 against Palisades Park High School.
As of April 15, the team’s record was 1-5.
Center fielder Kiera Docherty, who has been on varsity for four years, is the only returning senior on the team.
“I’ve always loved playing softball,” Docherty said. “It’s something me and my dad always had a connection over.”
She said her greatest softball accomplishment has been diving to catch fly balls without dropping them.
“My most frustrating sports moment is definitely striking out a couple [of] times in a row because I lost all my confidence,” Docherty said.
Ending last season with a 5-18 record, Docherty said her goal is for the team to win more games and support each other.
“We all need to improve on communication [and] body language and continue to work hard,” Docherty said.
Sophomore Gianna Lembo said she is looking forward to her second season as starting catcher.
“I have one of the most vocal positions on the field, so I have to be ready to either call plays or help the others out,” Lembo said.
She said it boosted her self-esteem to be one of six starters as a freshman last season.
“There was a lot of pressure on me to come out and be good considering I was starting in one of the most important positions on the field,” Lembo said.
“Softball is a game where there are more failures than successes. In order to be successful, I have to stay consistent in those successful times to help my team be better every day.”
She said she predicts the team will win more games than last season.
“This season is different from last year because many of our players were freshmen,” Lembo said. “Now we are a year older and more experienced and know what to expect this season.”
She said she hopes the team will make the state playoffs and win the first round.
Freshman Olivia Syed, who plays third base and shortstop, said she is excited to play on varsity with the same girls she used to play with in Little League.
“As a freshman, challenges I will be facing during my first season are playing against older girls who might have more experience than me and being consistent when playing,” Syed said.
She said her personal goals are to perfect her play at third base, assist her teammates and improve in any way possible.
“Softball is a game where there are more failures than successes. In order to be successful, I have to stay consistent in those successful times to help my team be better every day,” Syed said.
Head Coach Auteri, who is in her second season as head coach and had been assistant coach since 2008, said being head coach is challenging.
“Instead of making a suggestion as an assistant, I am now making all the decisions. With the weight on my shoulders, it can be challenging because I’m bound to make mistakes or create disagreement,” Auteri said.
She said the players will be successful if they believe in themselves and trust the process.
“Our main goal right now is to stay positive and optimistic as we are still a very young team with tons of potential,” Auteri said. “Once we can put it all together, we can truly be contenders.”
