GIRLS’ SOFTBALL SPORT SHORTS, 2013-14–
Scrimmages do not count toward win/loss record. Visit the Sports Section for girls’ softball features. For a simple overview of scores and upcoming games, check the Spring sport box scores: 2014 for dates, opponents and times for all Eagle sports.

Be sure to visit the 2013-14 girls’ softball schedule, home page or check out Maxpreps.com. The Eagles are currently 6-10-1 overall and 3-7 in the West Sequoia League as of May 8. The Eagles will next play the Laton Mustangsin their first playoff game, May 14.

RIVERDALE TAKES FC, 11-1
FC hosted the Riverdale Cowgirls in their tenth and final league game of the season, May 8.

Although the first inning remained scoreless for both teams, the Cowgirls managed to put one run across in their second ups and shut down the home team in the bottom of the second inning. After holding Riverdale scoreless in the third, FC put their first run on the board, tying up the game, 1-1. After a strong first three innings, the Eagles began to slip, allowing the visiting team to score four runs in their fourth at bats, and failing to answer in their half-inning.

The home team fared a bit better in the fifth inning, holding Riverdale to only one run, but once again their offensive effort proved futile. In the top of the sixth inning, the Cowgirls added six more runs to their total. Although the Eagle offense was shut down in the bottom of the sixth, they prevented their opponents from scoring in the seventh in hopes of maintaining a chance to come back. Despite their efforts, though, FC failed to improve the score, and Riverdale emerged victorious, 11-1.

Softball supporter Larry Sellers has been to many of the Eagles’ home games and, over the course of the season, he has noticed both some improvements the girls have made and still need to make.

“The girls’ attitudes and eagerness and motivation to win has changed,” Sellers said. “There are a few girls, though, who still need to learn how to hit, and all of them need to make sure they are using two hands to catch the ball.”

Throughout the season, Sellers has seen an unreadiness to hit the ball in many of the girls’ at bats, and he believes that the girls can take an example from the offensive job of this games’ opponent.

“When you’re going to swing, you have to swing hard,” Sellers said. ” The Riverdale girls would swing because they were ready to swing. If they missed it, they missed it, but if they hit it, they crushed it.”

As the Eagles are going into playoffs, Sellers knows that the lack of commitment this team has dealt with at various points in the season must stop, as each player regardless of position or playing time, is crucial to the team’s success.

“You’ve got to have commitment to the team,” Sellers said. “You can’t let other things get in the way. If you’re going to play ball, you have to be there.”

The Eagles will next travel to play the Laton Mustangsin their first playoff game, May 14 at 4 pm.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @JennaWeimer42. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more information, read the May 12 article, Softball sport shorts: Parlier.