sports

GV World Series: softball team competes amongst themselves

Andrew Houp, Robert Lewis and Sarah Naberhaus • October 12, 2015

The fall season is coming to a close for the Viking’s softball team, and the spring season is right around the corner.

Head Coach Lou Yacinich Jr. said the entire team is working hard to prepare for the new rivalries and challenges that are likely to accompany the spring season’s conference.

One way in which the Grand View softball team has prepared for the spring conference season is through the GV World Series tournament that takes place each fall. A best two-out-of-three tournament is played amongst the team’s own members, boosting the team members’ skills and sparking their ambitions.

“It’s a good way to finish up our fall season,” Yacinich said. “We’ve been practicing for six weeks, and it’s good to finish it with games.”

Utility Kate Crow (Sophomore) practices her throws at the World Series Tournament. — Utility Kate Crow (So.) practices her throws at the World Series Tournament. // VF File Photo

Many of the Grand View softball players agree the short intersquad tournament plays a big role in their fall season and preparations for spring.

“It helps us pull each other to do better,” Claudia Farrell, sophomore pitcher, said.

The tournament, Farrell said, serves as a means of friendly competition amongst teammates by allowing them to practice in a more competitive setting.

“The hard part about [the tournament] is that the people we’re playing against are our team members,” Farrell said.

Kristin Webb, junior catcher, said the team’s wide range of skills made for an interesting tournament this year.

“It’s fun to mix up the teams from what we are used to with JV and varsity and play each other,” she said.

Nothing was awarded to the winning team—the tournament was primarily for improvement, as well as for enjoyment.

“We said something like, ‘if this team loses, they have to do something,’ but we didn’t actually do it,” Summer Waychoff, freshman shortstop, said.

Pitcher Claudia Farrell. Members of the Grand View softball team practice during a tournament this week. The annual fall tournament is played against fellow Viking softball team members in an effort to practice and wind down fall activities. Practice will resume in January. — Pitcher Claudia Farrell. Members of the Grand View softball team practice during a tournament last week. // VF File Photo

The spring softball season begins in February, and the team has high hopes for performance.

“We have a ton of talent and we all seem to connect really well as a team on and off the field,” Webb said. “We had a good fall season and I see a bright future ahead for the spring.”

Until then, the Viking’s softball team is winding down and shaping up for their upcoming challenges.

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