by Kate Ross, 19U Girls Softball Coach -

“You’re doing great! Don’t worry, we were there too!”

This was just one of the many encouraging quotes heard this past weekend from players on the 19U girls softball team to an opposing player.

Playing in only their second ACSIS season, the group of 18 girls has gone from relative softball newbies to a competitive, supportive team, showing their dedication to learning the sport with a positive mindset.

The girls began the ACSIS final tournament on Thursday, March 12 with a game against the SAS JV team. With a tough loss of 8-3, they were committed to improving on their past record but having fun too. This was evident on Friday night with big wins against UWC-East and Tanglin Trust, a newcomer to the tournament. With excellent hitting from the whole team, and power triples from both Kelsey Lussier and Natasya Darsono, the team scored 13 runs in one inning, an amazing feat in softball. For Tanglin Trust, the tournament was a first opportunity to play and CIS girls were excellent ambassadors for the sport, with positive messages of support and coaching.

On Saturday morning, it was back to SAS for play-offs. Playing UWC-East a second time meant it became a hitter’s game, with great fielding from Leah Lussier and Stefanie Mulder in the outfield. In a close game, UWC-East rallied past CIS for the win.

At the end of the tournament, the 19U girls softball team had won 3 out of the 5 games, earning a bronze medal. Standouts include team captains Erin Nishimura (Grade 8), Kanna Oshimi (Grade 10) and Larissa Vanta (Grade 12).

With only 6 returning players, this season was a great opportunity to introduce more players to softball and the sportsmanship of the game, but most importantly we all had a lot of fun!

Congratulations on an excellent season!

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