Junior Nicole Hayner pitching at a recent softball game held at "The Dome"

Currently, the majority of the Stoughton varsity softball team along with a few other players are putting their skills to use in order to get ready for the 2011 softball season.

Mrs. Marcy and Mr. Steve Zuk, Mr. Al Olans, and captains seniors Jessie Olans, Colleen Flaherty, and Molly Zuk are in charge of the Stoughton team. They recently got together and entered the Knights in the winter session of the Bridgewater Dome league.

This league consists of 10 other teams and 10 total games. Each game takes place on a Sunday and they are going up against other town teams and clubs.

Each team that partakes in this “skill building” opportunity is in it for fun and practice. They just want to polish up on their skills that may be a little dusty. No one is taking it too seriously, although it’s obvious and implied that teams want to go home with a win.

The work that the team gets done in an hour and 15 minutes is all that counts. This isn’t your typical softball game. It goes by time not innings. So if you had 5 innings done and time was up, then the game is complete.

“This is practice for me,” teammate and junior Nicole Barton said. “Yes, I want to win but it’s for practice. Most of us hadn’t even picked up a softball since the end of last season.”

With that being said, these girls are using these games as a precursor for the 2011 softball season. It’s great change seeing a team taking things into their own hands in order to create a stronger team. Practice makes perfect, so why not strive for that?

Junior Liz Roch and freshman Emily Cramer get ready to make an out.