With a current record of 6-1 and placing as one of the top ten high school softball teams in the state, players on this year’s Pace High School softball team are not letting the expectations affect their mentality at practice or on the field.
“We are just trying to take it one win at a time,” said Samantha Kummer, a junior classman who plays third base for the
Lady Patriots. “We all know what our duty is on the team, we all know our role.”
In addition to having a winning record, the lady Patriots are also currently ranked number five in the class 6A district in the state on the Miracle Sports website. Tate High School (6-0), which is ranked number one in the class 7A district, is the only team to hand Pace a loss so far this season.
In her second season as head coach, Amy Wolfenden attributes this team’s success to the their chemistry.
“That’s the biggest thing with this group, they see what they can do and they keep on it,” Wolfenden said.
While Coach Wolfenden also credits the senior leadership for the teams early success, Payton Carpenter − one of the five senior players on the team − credits her younger teammates.
“This season, we have a lot of young girls on our team, I think the young blood on the team really sparked a fire on the team,” Carpenter said. “They want that win at the end of the game.”
After coming back from a shoulder injury, which kept her off the field a majority of her junior season, Carpenter said she is feeling 100 percent and is ready to lead the team on the field.
“Getting our district title back, that is obviously our goal,” she said. “We deserve and we have the potential to get the title back.”
One of the new players on the team is Belle Wolfenden, the freshmen player said there is pressure to perform with high expectations hanging over the team. However, the team’s chemistry helps with overcoming adversity.
“(Teammates) are always supportive and they are always there for you no matter what,” Wolfenden said. “It’s been a great year and we hope it’s going to go farther.”
On Tuesday, the lady Patriots will host Booker T. Washington High School on Tuesday, Tate High School on Thursday night and Pensacola High School on Friday night.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Softball: Pace girlÂ’s maintain perspective, despite high expectations