This past season, in a dominant fashion, softball won their 11th consecutive DCIAA championship and made it to the DCSAA semifinals.
On May 7th, the Tigers won the DCIAA championship in a five inning game over School Without Walls 15-5. In addition to this, five players were named to the All-League conference first and second teams, and junior Lia Pollock was named the DCIAA softball Player of the Year. Freshman Alex Nehr was awarded championship game MVP after hitting a home run.
The first game in the Tigers’ DCSAA run was against Maret. After falling 2-17 to the Frogs in the regular season, the game was predicted to be a tough one. The Tigers set out for revenge on May 14 in the rain. And did they get it. The Tigers took an early lead and scored four runs in the first inning. Maret matched them and took the lead by one run, however they were unable to keep up for the rest of the game. The Tigers extended their lead at the plate during the third inning, where they scored 15 runs.
The Tigers kept this unrelenting energy up the entire game, despite the rainy conditions, and finished with a commanding 22-7 win. They beat Maret for the first time in program history, advancing to the state semifinal against number one seeded Georgetown Visitation. Captain shortstop Meghan Thompson, who hit three home runs and slashed at a .459 average, contributed five runs to the win.
Up against Visitation, the Tigers knew they were in for a battle. The teams butted heads twice earlier in the season, where Jackson-Reed played well but lost both times. Entering this game, JR was confident coming off of the Maret victory and appreciative of how far they had come and all the work they had put in. Steady play from the Tigers led to an even game at first. Unfortunately, the Cubs pulled away in the fourth inning and got the win, 16-8.
Even though the season did not end with a shot at the DCSAA championship, the Jackson-Reed softball team had an incredible run and proved themselves to be a city powerhouse and serious state contender. “Putting up fights against these teams that had beaten us badly [previously] definitely makes us proud of what we accomplished,” captain Lia Pollock said. She hit a home run and ten RBIs, while pitching in 16 innings.
There is much to be proud of, boasting a record of 11-8 and their 11th consecutive conference championship. With the team made up of mostly seniors, many hard goodbyes have come. “We had eight seniors that contributed to the team this year, which is a big loss in a team of about 14,” said head coach David Thompson. However, a strong underclassmen base looks forward to continuing the JR softball legacy.
