Another successful season for the HSMSE girls' softball team

Girls softball team / H. Hamade

The 2015 spring softball season for the HSMSE Dragons was arguably their best season yet. The Dragons went 13-1 this season which earned them the top seed in the Manhattan B Division.

For just the second time in the history of HSMSE athletics, a team was the number one seed in the playoffs, the first for the softball team. After having a fantastic season in 2014, the softball team came into the 2015 season with high expectations. There were a some doubts when a few seniors left, but when new players filled the void, the team regained their confidence for the season.

“Achieving the number one seed was a great accomplishment,” said coach Crystal Downey in an interview on May 29. “From the start of the season we knew it was going to be a success, so we didn’t let it get to our heads. … We had some new additions to the team so the team was definitely stronger than last season [2014].”

A handful of players were the keys to the Dragons' success in 2015. These players were captains Taylor Faulds and Hillary Rodriguez, as well as freshman Alex West. This trio was vital to the team's success because they provided consistent defense and were always driving in runs for the team. Faulds hit .450, West hit .514, and Rodriguez hit .574. Having a core like these three is the difference between the strong teams and the weaker teams in Manhattan B Division.

“We had a few girls leave, but we had some new additions to the team,” Downey said. “The team was definitely better than it was last year. We played a few challenging teams that we beat, so once we beat them we knew that we were going to be ahead of the game."