The HHS Softball Team won their first game of the season against McCluer, 16-14 on September 20th, 2023. While it was their first win of the season, it was not their last.

“Don’t stop, won’t stop,” Head Coach Kalik May said. The team’s main goal throughout the season was to keep improving from day one. 

It could be believed that the girls’ softball team’s improvement and hard work may have been due to the non-stop practicing that the team did leading up to this long-awaited victory. 

The softball team had a core group of three seniors who helped “keep us grounded,” May said. Which is important because of the “younger teammates right behind them.”

The few seniors of the team could be looked at as the leaders of the team when it comes to setting an example for newer players who are in search of improvement.  

Some players may have liked to have different positions, while some could argue that they did best in the positions they were put in and helped the team win. 

One of the few seniors, Hailey Mckay who plays the teams’ pitcher states, “ I would have liked to play pitcher over first base.” after being asked about how she feels about her position and what she would want to change. Which is interesting because Hailey played as the main pitcher all season.

It could be a relying factor that the team cooperates with each other and helps each other improve by using communication towards one another. 

According to freshman Emma Case, the team had good communication throughout the season. “ When it comes to a game, we always tell people where to go, where to be.”

In terms of players who stood out, Case named senior pitcher Haley Mckay and freshman catcher Celeste Santonge.

“I think Hailey did very well, and Celeste did well at handling balls as catcher,” Case said. 

The team made multiple improvements as they got later into the season;  one of those was the team’s ability to bond,  get closer, and gain better chemistry even though some may not have been familiar with each other. 

“We have good team chemistry,” stated May when asked about his favorite quality of the team and what they got better at throughout the season. 

When senior Hailey Mckay was asked what she is going to miss most about softball, she stated, “I am going to miss playing games and cheering the team on when they’re up to bat.”

After 4 years of playing softball for Hancock, McKay seems to be reminiscent of her time on the team and the ending of it. 

Mckay further stated, “Another moment that was my favorite was when I got a home run.”