The softball team has “no regrets” to their fourthplace performance in last week’s NWAACC Championship Tournament, according to head coach Meadow McWhorter.

“We played solid defense all weekend, combined with solid hitting and they really came together and played as a team,” said McWhorter. “Its been one of our goals all season to play with all our hearts.”

In the first day of the tournament, on Friday, they lost the second game, so to even place they’d have to win three games straight.

They won the first game on Saturday in the bottom of the seventh, coming back from being down 5-2. They won the second game 10-3, and the third game of the day, and probably the biggest win, was when they beat Lower Columbia, who’s won the champonship title the past six years.

“Every woman on this team can say they were on the team that ended the dynasty,” said McWhorter. The Saints were down 4-0, and came back to beat them 9-6.

They never gave up. They always believed that they could come back. In their dugout there hung a sign that read “believe” that’s been up since the last game of the season.
Some fans, not affiliated with Mt. Hood softball, came and gave compliments to how inspiring and how encouraging a team can be down 4-0, and still be smiling in the dugout.
“I think it’s the hugest compliment that this program can receive,” said McWhorter.

Jill Quesenberry and Sam Stockfleth both made the All-Tournament team. Quesenberry had a home run in every game up until the last game on Sunday and Stockfleth “pitched the game of her life against Lower Columbia,” said McWhorter.

For the Southern Region All Star team, Krystle Brooks, Chelsea Dixon, Quesenberry, Sunny Riskey, and Stockfleth all made the first team, and Megan Moeller made the second team. Alexis Hadenfeld was the Most Valuable Pitcher.

“It was a good weekend, and a sad one too because we are losing nine incredible kids to graduation and moving on. They become family and then you have to let them go. But they will be moving on to bigger and better things,” said McWhorter.

The season had its ups and downs (29-13), and they lost a couple heartbreakers, but they learned through the process. The tournament showed how much they’ve improved. They learned how to finish, to never give up, and how important having intensity in the dugout was.

“Every win that we had in the tournament was because of each and every player on this team,” said McWhorter.

McWhorter would only change a few things in her coaching during the season. She said she would like to practice more on how to close games and create and sustain intensity, because they lost a lot of games in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Next year she plans on spending a little more time on the mental toughness so that they are prepared for games that come down to the umpire’s call.

This has been one of the most memorable seasons for McWhorter.

“I’ve never been more proud of a team than I have been for this year. Many of them are ending their careers this weekend and they are ending them on top. Couldn’t have gone out a better way.”