Kaya Rodriguez (10) stood on the mound as the crowd watched in anticipation. In a swift motion, Rodriguez loaded up and released the ball, firing it past the batter and straight into the catcher’s glove.
Cheers erupted in the dugout as Rodriguez’s strikeout ended the Cougar Classic Tournament championship game in the Copper Bracket against Scripps Ranch with a winning score of 7-6, Saturday. Softball placed first out of seven other high school teams.
Westview played three qualifying games the week prior that determined their placement in the Copper Bracket. The first and second games both resulted in losses against Escondido Charter and Del Norte, respectively. In the third game, Westview tied Christian, 2-2. Catcher Abby Peake (10) said the team initially struggled to adjust to a new coaching staff, which affected their performance during the games.
“We did not have our usual coaches because they are gone until the end of March,” Peake said. “We have new coaching, and it was hard to adjust because they have a very different coaching style. We also had to get used to the team dynamic. I feel like we were all kind of just playing for ourselves instead of for the team.”
In order to succeed in the tournament, Reese Marier (12) said the team needed to shift its mentality and focus on collaboration.
“During the first two pool games, the team’s mentality was individual,” Rodriguez said. “It’s because we were still trying to figure out how to play with each other, and it was our first real games of the season. During the Christian game, everyone’s attitude was to play for the team and to have energy and effort, which really benefited us. We were able to carry those positive attitudes into the bracket games, and give [it our] 100%.”
During practices leading up to the weekend, the team focused on putting the ball in play and communicating on defense. According to Peake, the players also explored different lineups to better play as a team.
“We work[ed] through new lineups by constantly communicating [and] supporting everyone on and off the field,” Peake said. “We also [worked on] playing for each other rather than ourselves.”
After getting more comfortable over the week, softball came out swinging on the weekend and dominated the first two games in its bracket. The team ended the first game against Valley Center with a score of 18-2 and beat Sage Creek, 7-1, in the second. In its final game, the softball team beat Scripps Ranch closely by one run in the final inning of the game. Rodriguez said that the weekend’s games were much more exciting and showcased the team’s abilities. Both Kiana Rodriguez (10) and Peake hit a home run in the last two games of the tournament.
Since the tournament marked the beginning of softball’s season, Rodriguez said it set the tone for the rest of the games.
“From these games, we learned that our energy, effort, and attitude are what make us a great team,” she said. “This will definitely keep our energy and attitudes high throughout the rest of the season, [because] this tournament [showed] that we are a great team and can compete with any team we play.”
Despite a rough start, Peake said she was proud of the team’s results in the tournament.
“Overall, we had a great tournament and we will continue to play to the best of our abilities,” Peake said. “Winning the Copper Bracket was so much fun, and we hope to continue to perform [our best]. I think we [also] learned that we can play with teams we might think are better than us and that we have talent and can bounce back from difficult games.”
As the team progresses through the season, the players plan to focus more on collaboration. Peake said one of the most important parts of the game is having strong communication among the players.
“Teamwork is one of the biggest parts of softball,” Peake said. “Since we all have such a close relationship with each other in and outside of softball, it makes the game so much more fun, which I find helps us play better and more relaxed. When we’re flawlessly communicating and making plays and hitting, we all work together, which makes the game simple and so much fun.”
