Girls Softball, led by Captains Emerson Buckley ’25 and Madison Hugo ’25, huddle during their 10-4 comeback victory against Nobles.
4/19 – Andover: 0, Choate: 3
4/19 – Andover: 10, Nobles: 4
Girls Softball (4-2) stepped up to the plate this past Saturday in a double header against two competitive teams, Choate Rosemary Hall (Choate) and Noble & Greenough (Nobles). Despite a slow start in the morning against Choate, the team rebounded with grit and determination facing Nobles later that day.
The matchups tested the team’s resilience, stamina, and mindset, which especially stood out in its win against Nobles, marking the weekend as a defining moment in the early season. Angelique Ceballos Cardona ‘25 reflected on the weekend as a growth opportunity for the team.
“We definitely had two of our tougher games in terms of our schedule this past Saturday,” said Ceballos Cardona. “Overall, the team put up a very strong performance. We learned a lot from our first game, which was the tougher game for us, just because we saw faster pitching and had to make adjustments. We lost the first game, but we really came back in the second game and showed a lot of resilience.”
Girls Softball’s opening game against Choate featured dominant pitching from the opposing team, and despite solid defensive work, Andover’s batters struggled to find momentum. The three-run deficit proved difficult to overcome, but, according to Ceballos Cardona, the team didn’t let the loss define the day.
“We were losing 4-1 pretty early on, in the second game,” Ceballos Cardona. “[But] then we came back to tie it, and we had an inning where we just scored a bunch of runs. Once our momentum turns, it’s really hard for us to lose it. We are a very contagious team. If one person is hitting, usually the next person is too.”
A key swing in momentum occurred in the sixth inning, when the team’s offense came alive and strung together a series of crucial hits. Co-Captain Emerson Buckley ‘25 pointed to this moment as the highlight of the weekend.
“We strung together so many hits. Our whole lineup contributed to that inning and the runs we scored. It was very huge for us, [and] obviously that won the game for us,” said Buckley.
Buckley also noted that the team’s early struggles against Choate helped fuel their fire against Nobles. Its perseverance stood out, especially in its refusal to give up when trailing.
“Something our team did a good job of this weekend was not counting ourselves out. When Nobles went up in the third inning, we could’ve hung our heads, but we pushed back and ultimately got the win,” Buckley said.
Victoria MacKenzie ‘28 corroborated Buckley’s sentiments, praising the team’s strong efforts and togetherness.
“Even though our bats weren’t alive in the first game, in the second game, we managed to turn that around and come out with a win. Our team has some of the best chemistry. We always get one another up. That’s a huge part of why we’re so successful,” MacKenzie wrote in a text to The Phillipian.
Ceballos Cardona recounted when the energy shifted against Nobles, and when the team, seeing a sequence of successes from its teammates, took control of the game.
“We had an inning where we just scored a bunch of runs, when I saw the team coming together and clicking, putting up a bunch of runs that was really good for us. I think at those points in the game where the momentum turns to us it’s really hard for us to lose that,” said Ceballos Cardona.
The weekend’s challenges also served as important preparation for the rest of the season, especially the Big East Tournament toward the end of May.
“This weekend, including our St. Paul’s game earlier in the week, was a huge test for us. These are some of the three best teams we play, and it just prepares us for the postseason and the rest of the season. It also gave us a little bit of confidence because we are definitely able to compete with everyone we played this week, so that’s good,” said Buckley
Girls’ Softball will travel to Austin Prep on Saturday, April 26.
