The 2015 softball season came to an end for the Milton High School softball team last week after losing their second round playoff game on the road against Oakleaf High School, 1-0. Regardless of how the season ended, the team made school history by winning two consecutive district titles in fast pitch softball and making into the second round of the playoffs.
Several of the Lady Panthers, including Coach Danny Worrell, took the time to reflect upon this season while looking forward to next year.
Sophomore Krystal Cahill, who played first base, said the team struggled midway in the season.
“We were doing okay, then we started to fall apart. We weren’t hitting as great as we normally do or we wouldn’t field the ball like we would in practice,” Cahill said. “In games we would get nervous or get intimidated.”
However as the season continued, the team began to perform better, Cahill said.
“As the season grew on us, we began to come together as a team,” she said. “We starting hitting ball really well, we were fielding (the ball) and then we were really starting to do well.”
In her remaining tenure with the team, Cahill hopes the team will not only meet this season’s standards but advance as well.
“I just hope we can accomplish what we did this year and maybe go further,” she said.
Fellow sophomore Morgan Willett, who plays left field for the team, feels confident towards next season.
“We have some more incoming players that I feel could be just as good or even better,” Willett said. “I just hope the girls willing to play will come to work out, play hard and improve our team for next year.”
Outfielders Paige Brown and Taylor Ford will serve in a leadership role next season as the only two seniors on next year’s roster.
“I definitely want to set a certain example for the younger players,” Brown said. “Since we are the only two seniors, it’s going to be tough to fill the role of the other five (seniors) leaving, but we have a lot of great talent on the team. We are going to have a great ninth grade class coming up.”
Ford agreed saying she is looking forward to see how next season’s team performs.
“We got some middle school talent coming in next year and I am excited to see what we do with it,” Ford said.
Although the team made school history this season, Coach Worrell had higher expectations.
“I thought this team could make it to the final four, but we had some injuries that hurt us a little bit,” Worrell said. “We had three torn ACL’s on the varsity level and that is hard to overcome, but these kids overcome it and did well all year.”
Like his players, Worrell is looking forward to seeing what the incoming talent has to offer. The coach said some of the freshmen may earn a spot on the varsity roster by gaining experience in travel ball.
“We are looking for great things,” Worrell said. “I think we can be better next year…but as a coach I always feel like that. I don’t like rebuilding years as a coach, you don’t want to rebuild, you want to reload and that is what we are looking forward to doing.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Softball: MHS Lady Panthers reflect on historic season