The WHBHS varsity softball team concluded their season with a tough loss to East Islip, but they went the farthest in the playoffs than any other Westhampton team.

The girls should be incredibly proud of themselves. They were going up against older girls while half of the team were underclassmen. With a young team, no one is leaving, and all the players are returning. Junior Kayla Spanbock says, “I think that we will have a good advantage, we will all be able to keep the bond we all created and we will play well together because we know each other already.”

The team is looking to take their mistakes from this season and learn from them to come back next year. Freshman Addison Celi says, “I think that this team has done a really good job of learning from our mistakes and correcting them to limit future ones. It’s only going to keep getting better for us. We have a young crew and plenty more years of development to work with.” The more this team plays together the better the blend will be. Communication is key to a well-working team and with this team having years of playing together under their belt, they’re prepared for multiple future seasons.

This year was a big learning year. The youngest girls on the team got to feel what it was like playing with girls much older than them and be comfortable by the next year. Addison says, “We spent a lot of time figuring out who we are as a team and I think we found that we are perfectly capable of playing with anybody. Obviously, there are the ups and downs that come with that but with the ability to learn from mistakes and continue to fight is what makes this team special.”

All of the girls are looking forward to the next season. With being all similar ages, they’re all very close. This makes playing more efficient and enjoyable. Sophomore Kali Baumiller says, “Every day after school I would look forward to seeing all my best friends and spending time with them. They made the games super fun and made the overall experience of this season great on and off the field.”

The school team seems to have a big impact on all of the girls. They were so close they would look forward to being at practice, games, and softball events, showing how close the girls are and will continue to be. The love that this sport gives the girls is incredible. Kayla says, “I’m going to miss seeing them every day after school. The bond we all have on our team is so special and I’m going to miss being able to laugh and have fun with the team at practices and the bus rides to games.”

Stay tuned for next year when the girls will make their way back better than ever!