On Wednesday, April 19th, Kent varsity softball faced off with Millbrook in a close game that ended in a close loss of 6 to 8. Though the team didn’t pull off a victory in this match, team member Maddie Griswold ‘17 said it was a “hard fought game and a real battle to the finish.”

The game mimicked a crescendo: Kent started off slow, but as the minutes ticked on, the girls worked hard to get as many team members to home plate as possible. Griswold shares that she was “so proud of how the team came together in the final innings and rallied to score five runs in the fourth and fifth.”

Griswold was also sure to mention the outstanding sportsmanship of teammate Sunao Takegami ‘17. Takegami plays shortstop for the team and, in this intense battle against Millbrook, had several key plays. Her stellar performance continually got Millbrook players out as they attempted to make it from second to third base. Her persistence and dedication radiated to other players of the team and watching her seemed to make everyone else want to play harder and better.

Takegami has been playing on the varsity softball team at Kent since her freshman year and there are many other long-term members of the team.  However, this year, the team has welcomed many new players along with a new coach, Mr. Zurolo. Hazel Garrity explains that they are “building [their] team from scratch,” with Mr. Zurolo being a “soft spoken” coach with “extensive knowledge” of the sport.

During this game, the team demonstrated resilience as they continued to work their hardest even when the score on the scoreboard wasn’t in their favor, and they have high hopes that continued drive will serve them well in coming games.