Softball sends off seniors

For the second straight weekend, the University of San Diego softball team struggled at the USD Softball Complex. In their final series of the year, a three-game West Coast Conference (WCC) set against Brigham Young University (BYU), the Toreros dropped all three games, and were largely outpaced by the first-place Cougars’ offense. Despite getting swept, the weekend did hold some positive moments for USD. A heartfelt tribute on Saturday to their four graduating seniors, Kailey Hill, Sarah Stone, Hannah Gilliand, and Frankie Perales made for a memorable day for the program. According to USD head softball coach Melissa McElvain, senior day can present an opportunity for seniors to have special performances in their final game, and though the final box score may not have reflected it, many of the veteran players did just that.

The series began on Friday with the Toreros surrendering an offensive barrage to BYU. Allowing 16 hits to their own total of five, USD seemed to be a bit overpowered. First-year right-hander Hanna Boos gave up six earned runs on nine hits and a walk to begin the game, and the Toreros were unable to dig themselves out of that early hole, dropping a 10-4 decision. 

Saturday, though, was all about the seniors, with pregame festivities honoring the players and their families taking place before the game. McElvain described the pre-game ceremony. 

“That’s always special to get their families out here to walk them out on the field for their last time playing here in the uniform,” McElvain said. “It’s a tough thing for them to take their jerseys off now that this game’s over and now that our season’s over, but to have the families here on the field with them and a personal message from their parents, that’s just the tradition that we’ve had here at USD that I’m really proud of.”

Placing all four of her seniors into the starting lineup, McElvain said she wanted to make the day special for her older players.

“I wanted to just give the seniors that gift of starting on senior day,” McElvain said. 

Once again, however, USD found themselves in a hole early on. Sophomore pitcher Delaney Heller surrendered five runs on eight hits in two innings pitched to begin the game. In a performance that boded well for the future of the program, though, first-year right-hander Halle Kyler came in and shut things down for the Toreros immediately after. She threw five innings to finish the game, scattering three hits across those frames, giving up just one run in the process. Offensively, though, the Toreros weren’t able to get a whole lot done behind Kyler.

Their lone run of the game came in a both memorable and exciting manner, marking the high point on the weekend for USD. With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, senior Sarah Stone sent a fly ball to deep left-center field. As she began hustling around the bases, the ball came down and clipped the very top of the fence, landing on the other side.  Once the ball made it over, Stone raised her hands above her head as she continued running the bases in a mix of joy and surprise before she was greeted by all of her teammates at home plate. Stone, who had started just ten games in the 2018 season prior to Sunday, spoke about her special at-bat.

“I’m not normally a starter, so going up there I was just thinking ‘have fun,’ it’s my last day ever playing softball, which is crazy,” Stone said. “I was going in the box and thinking that the first strike I’m gonna see, I’m gonna put a good swing on it. Lo and behold, it hits the top of the fence and goes over. So I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it was just an amazing feeling.”

While Stone’s home run was hit relatively hard, it wasn’t immediately clear whether it would leave the yard.

“I was rounding first, I was like, ‘Get out, get out, get out!’” Stone said. “And then it did, and I couldn’t believe that it happened. It felt like a movie.”

McElvain shared what she saw on that play from the third base coaches’ box.

“I’ve seen a lot of magical things happen on senior day, and that’s probably added to my top list,” McElvain said. “That ball was hit hard off the bat and I wasn’t sure if it was gonna get out, and when it hit the top of the fence it hits that top link — we call that ‘getting linked.’ So like nine times out of ten if you get linked, it comes back onto the field. So I was just willing it. I saw it hit the top of the fence and I was just willing it over and willing it over. I got down into a squat and I was like ‘Go ball, Go!’ That was one of those awesome senior moments. She crushed it, and seniors step up and they just go for it.”

Following Stone’s solo home run, though, the Toreros were unable to put any additional runs on the board, and lost by a score of 5-1. They would go on to lose their final game of the season in similar fashion, dropping a 6-1 decision. McElvain cited the offensive aspect of the games as being a factor in the Toreros’ struggles against the Cougars.

“I think we kind of fell off at the end of the season,” McElvain said. “I think there’s a gap between us and BYU. They swung the bats really well, there was obviously a huge difference in the hit column this weekend, so we gotta close that gap on them. I think we played them tougher than we did last year, I think we were in more ballgames. We battled a little bit better, but I just hope that we can continue to close the gap and win this series next year.”

As she reflected on the weekend, and the season as a whole, McElvain emphasized the sense of gratitude she has for her senior players and what they’ve contributed to USD’s program over the years.

“I told them right there in that huddle, two words, I just said ‘Thank you’,” McElvain said. “I love them, I care about my players, and I appreciate them letting me in as a player, and as a person. I feel like we’ve been on that journey together and I really appreciate them letting me be by their side for that journey. I’m just appreciative for them, and thankful for them.”

Despite graduating those four seniors, McElvain maintains that her team is on track to improve next year. 

“I think we’re really young,”McElvain said. “We do graduate four seniors, two are starters, but we have young pitching, two freshmen and a sophomore in the circle, so to have all of our pitchers returning, they’re just gonna get better. And to only lose two starters next year, we’re bringing in a big freshman class, so I definitely do believe that we’re gonna get better next year, and I’m very excited about that.”

The Toreros finished the 2018 season with a final record of 25-27 (4-11 WCC). Though they fell short of their perennial goal of a WCC championship this year, the team has a lot to look forward to, and a bright future as they look ahead to next spring.