The improving girls softball team

HSMSE Softball / Jane Marlowe

Unlike last year, in which they lost all their games, the HSMSE girls softball team, is off to a better start this year. Last season they had no wins, but this season they have already won three games. With their improvements the developmental team may enter the B-division next season.


The Lady Dragons have made improvements in their play due to a change of coach and the amount of practice. The new coach, Crystal Downey, has increased practice to three to four times a week. Their fielding has improved greatly, with better outfielders and defense. However, the team is weak in many areas. Right fielder, Yemi Osayame, explained, “Our fielding has gotten way better, but our batting needs improvement.” The team’s pitching, too, has been inconsistent. With ERAs of 26.00 and 15.40, respectively, pitchers Diana Acosta and Claudia Lobenthal must improve.


The Dragons are strong in many ways. Key players on the team are freshman Anya Batista and senior Samantha Kombel. Kombel is one of the best contributors to the team. Kombel leads the team with a batting average of .739. She appeared on base 23 times and got 12 runs. Kombel has had much improvement since last year when she was only able to get one hit and run. Batista is also an outstanding addition to the group. She has been on base 19 times and has scored 14 runs. She has a great batting average of .737. Hopefully, Batista and Kombel will be able to lead the Dragons to many more wins.