The Rising Phoenix is the Bigger Bird
Horizon Honors went head to head with Phoenix Country Day School and, sadly, lost the game.
On March 10, 2015, Horizon Honors Girls’ Softball played against Phoenix Country Day School. Both teams played hard and excellent plays were made.
March 12, 2015
Tuesday, Mar. 10, from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m., Horizon Honors’ varsity girls’ softball team took on Phoenix Country Day School at our home field with a hearty crowd to cheer them on. The scene was postcard perfect with a rusty red field and a bright blue sky overhead as students warmed up for the game.
After several minutes of stretching and warming up, the emblem played and Phoenix Country Day started batting with Horizon Honors in the outfield. The first batter made it to first then stole to second base on the next pitch. When the ball hit the batter, it sent her and the player on first base to the next base. Quickly afterwards, a pop fly summoned a cheer from the crowd, and three strikes sent the next batter back to the dugout. When the next girl bunted the ball, Phoenix Country Day earned a run. Another strike out, and the top of the first inning was complete. The teams switched positions, and eleventh grader McKenna “Macky” Gutt was up to bat. She made it to first, and freshman McKenna Dunn got out on a pop fly. The next batter took Gutt to second base, and she reached first. Vivianne Fretwell, junior, was up to bat next, and now all three bases were loaded. Unfortunately, two more strikeouts ended Horizon Honors’ at to bat, and Phoenix Country Day was back up.
After an out on first and a caught ball, a ball hit the batter, sending them to first base. Two more batters, and the bases are all loaded with two outs. Phoenix Country Day scored another run, but an out on second base finished their turn. Horizon Honors scored a run during the offensive inning; the score was one to two, Phoenix Country Day. The top of the third inning passed with only a major uproar when there was an out on home plate, but we made good time with this at-bat.
Horizon Honors was up to bat, and another girl made it to first base, then another one of our girls was up to bat, filling first and second base. Fretwell barely made it to first, sliding in just before the first baseman caught the ball, with all of the bases now full. They gained two more runs on a double but then struck out. A strikeout and a pop fly finished their offensive inning with a score of four to three with Phoenix Country Day in the lead. The fourth inning wrapped up with a score of five to five.
Phoenix Country Day was at bat again, and their first batter made a narrow slide into first, then ran to second. That same girl tried to run to third base, but Fretwell got her out. After one more batter reached first base, they wrapped up the top half fifth inning. Then, when Horizon Honors’ team was batting, the first three batters get out consecutively. They were still tied.
Horizon Honors played in the field, and Phoenix Country Day’s first batter made it to first then stole second. On what would have been the third strike, a hit by pitch was thrown instead. In a cloud of dirt, Mackie pulled a double play on third base, which made the crowd cheer loudly for the home team. However, Phoenix Country Day earned another run. The sixth inning was finished with six to five, since Horizon Honors’ first three batters struck out.
Laney Corey, freshman, pitched to the Phoenix Country Day batter, and they got to first then stole to the next base. Laney was starting to find her zone with this batter, and they struck out. However, whatever mojo the girls had, they lost it as the opposing team made three runs with only an out on first base to show. After another strike out, the Horizon Honors girls played, but they never made it to first base.
The seven innings concluded with Phoenix Country Day School winning with nine runs to Horizon Honors’ six, and the girls took up the tradition of running for about a minute because they lost. Horizon Honors played well, and the school is excited to see where our girls go this season, including Coach Samora, who has been coaching the softball girls for eight years. “They’re coming along really well. They have stuff to learn, but they’re starting to do well as a team,” she says about the team. When prompted on how she thinks the team will go on this season, she replied with, “They have heart. They will recover.” Horizon Honors wishes the girls the best of luck!
