More often than not in the wide world of sports, it’s not about how you start your campaign. It’s about how you finish it.
The Bushland softball team understands this philosophy quite well. The Lady Falcons schedule strong opponents to open their regular season, a baptism by fire before they galvanize in time for their district opener.
Despite currently being 8-13 overall with a 3-1 record in District 1-3A, head coach Tayler Frye has her team right where she wants it.
“I did not make our preseason easy, whatsoever,” Frye said. “I do that on purpose to test the girls, to really challenge them to make sure they can really overcome a lot of adversity, and they do it. Record wise, it might not be our best start. However, team wise, it’s the best start that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
The secret to Bushland’s success has been their offense, as they have only been shut out twice so far this season.
Since March 16, where the Lady Falcons took a tough 3-1 road loss against Childress, Bushland has outscored opponents 54-2. Their latest victory was a favorable 17-2 result against Tulia in five innings, which took place on Tuesday at Bushland High School.
After surrendering a two-run homer from Tulia’s Kyla Rodriguez, Bushland hurler Charlie Willis settled down within the circle. Willis responded by fanning seven Hornets, allowing two walks and while at the dish, smacking a three-run blast to center field in the bottom of the fourth.
According to Frye, Willis is often nicknamed “the Nonchalant Queen.”
“This was actually her first home start,” said Frye. “So, she had a little bit of nerves in the first inning, and that was the first time that any of us had ever seen her nervous. I had a conversation with her, and told her that ‘now, it’s just like going into a game for relief.’ She’s been a great relief pitcher. From the second inning on, she was just as cool as a cucumber. She returned to form and scored a home run for us.”
Hope DeWald was exceptional for the black and gold, going a perfect 4-of-4 with a double and four RBIs. DeWald also caught a deep shot into left field to deny any prospect of a Tulia rally.
“She’s sneaky,” Frye said. “She’s so quick in the outfield, and she’ll go and dive for anything. We were at practice one day and she’s going up against a senior, for who can field the most balls without any errors. She’s diving into the fence in practice, making sure she can catch anything and do it all. She doesn’t always have a smile on her face, but she is a competitor.”
Down by two in the bottom of the first, Bushland replied with a six run burst. Addison Appier supplied the base clearing double, which allowed the Lady Falcons the lead. It was an advantage that only swelled as the game wore on.
While Appier would go on to put two doubles and three RBIs, Chayney Snelson contributed nicely with a double and triple with two RBIs. Zaylee Wilson secured two hits and one RBI, alongside Addison Ruiz’s one hit and two RBIs.
On defense, Lilly Downey snagged a line drive and a fly into foul territory. Ruiz, Downey and Brently Williams also teamed up for a double play to retire the side.
“We have so many phenomenal players,” Frye said. “We truly play well as a team. We have freshmen (Downey and Wilson) who are coming up and are dominating. (Williams) is a phenomenal pitcher. Those three freshmen are ones to look out for.”
“One might be down, and the other girls just pick them right back up,” continued Frye. “We might have one weak spot in our lineup, but the rest isn’t going to let you see it. One girl might be having the best game, everyone’s right there to have her back. She’s not pouting, either. She’s making sure that if she’s not helping them at the plate for whatever reason, she’s either helping out in the field or she’s being the loudest one in the dugout.”
The rest of the district slate is a winnable one for the Lady Falcons. However, to clinch a share of the title, Bushland has to get through a road contest at River Road on Friday, handle Canadian on the road next Monday and win a home showdown against Childress on April 2.
Childress is currently in the driver’s seat with a 4-0 record and 18-1-1 overall, while River Road is also 3-1 in district play with a 13-11 overall mark. Canadian is not too far behind in the standings, with a 1-3 mark in district and 18-4 overall.
“We definitely have to lock in,” Frye said of the road ahead. “I don’t think we took Childress as seriously as we needed to. It kind of showed that we’re young, with a lot of freshman starters. We just have to make sure that our softball IQ is up, and we don’t take a pitch off.”