For the first time since 2019, the girls softball team secured a win in their annual Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer game against Fort Lee. After a tight game, the Norsemen trailing behind, in the 7th inning the girls were down 3-2 with runners on 2nd and 3rd base, Kiera Bianchi hit a fly ball right in the gap of the outfields. 

This allowed the team to score in two runs ending the game off with a score of 4-3. The girls were destined to win after not winning the tournament in five years. 

The Breast Cancer tournament is a series of games to honor Susan G. Komen who passed away from breast cancer. Each year in April the softball team hosts the tournament while also running concession stands and walking around with raffle tickets to raise money for breast cancer research  and the team. 

Jaime Collins, a freshman on the varsity team explained her experience at the tournament as it was the first time she has participated in it.

 “Everyone did their part in that game and we were all working together so well. Though we started off tired in the morning, we picked it up later on and played as well as we possibly could. After making a sliding catch to end their at bats and seeing the first hit in the bottom of the seventh I knew we would come back,” Collins said. 

Teams like Fort Lee, Cliffside Park, Tenafly, Holy Angels, Waldwick, Bergenfield and Westwood all participated in the games from 9 am to 3 pm on Sat., April 20. 

The girls both on junior varsity and varsity took turns announcing each player when it was their turn to bat and played music in between innings. This was a great opportunity for the girls to bond with each other and make the tournament a fun experience for both teams. 

Going into the game the girls were eager to start the day off with a bang as their opponent, Fort Lee, was similar to their team dynamic with a record of 8-8 giving them a shot to win. The softball team woke up super early to get an early start on setting up for the tournament but to also get a good warmup on the field before the other team came. 

The game lasted all seven innings with only a few errors and the girls were hoping to secure the win as they were down late in the seven inning. 

Coach Kontogianni, the assistant coach for the team, gave the girls a motivational speech before they got up to bat.

 “Our victory was truly a TEAM effort on and off the field, defensively and offensively. Maintaining good and positive energy has proven to be very effective for us, and this win set a standard that we, as a team, do not give up, and anything is possible!” Kontogianni said. 

The girls softball team was able to win and fight through this hard game because of the grit and perseverance they had throughout it. Belief from their coaches and their fellow teammates is the reason they battled through tough innings and came out in the end with a win, the first time in several years.