By SHEALYNN PRATT
The Ranger softball team split Friday’s doubleheader and lost Saturday, finishing 1-2 against the Reddies while maintaining confidence and strong chemistry during a challenging season.
The Ranger softball team played three games against the Reddies on Friday and Saturday.
The Rangers won the first game 7-6 on Friday, followed by a 2-1 loss. Saturday’s game ended in a 5-3 loss.
Despite challenges this season, the team has maintained a positive outlook and strong team dynamic moving forward.
Katy Jones, from Cushing, has been playing softball since she was nine years old.
She said the team’s chemistry, both on and off the field, sets it apart from others she has played on.
“We come to practice every single day, just having fun and having love for the game,” Jones said.
Despite the losses, Jones said the team has been putting in consistent effort.
“We have been working nonstop at practice and in the weight room, getting better everyday,” Jones said.
The Alva Recreation Complex had high energy Friday morning when the Rangers secured a 7-6 win. Jones said the team’s mindset going into the first game played a key role in the victory.
“The mindset going into it was just to simply win,” Jones said. “We have been struggling recently, just trying to find some sort of spark and I felt the team as a whole just wanted that win.”
She added that despite the losses following the early morning win, their mindset remained strong.
“Our performance in that win Friday transferred to the next games to follow but we did not leave the weekend with the results we wanted,” Jones said. “But we never gave up that fight to win and I believe that will help us move forward with Conference play.”
Gabby Sanchez, from Seal Beach, California, has been playing softball for 18 years of her life and said that the team has been remaining positive despite their rough season.
“We still try to find ways to overcome adversity every single game,” Sanchez said.
She said that there are no amount of losses that could break the team dynamic.
“The win on Friday kind of lit a fire under our butts and showed us that no matter what, we can pull out a win for the team,” Sanchez said. “We can be as good as any team we play, if we put our pieces together and play as a team.”
Ranger softball will travel to play the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, on Friday and Saturday.