The Manhattan High softball team won against Junction City twice, 13-1 and 7-2 on senior night last Friday. 

“I thought we played defense really well and strong in the infield and the outfield,” senior Ellie Hacker said. “The hitting… the first game was pretty strong. We were all consistently hitting the ball. The second game we kind of struggled to hit off the pitcher in the beginning, but then we got some runs later in the game.”

Hacker, along with senior Rachel Schurtz were the only seniors on the team this year. 

“The games went really well,” Hacker said. “It was definitely bittersweet playing my last games at home with the team. We played good and that’s all I could ask for.”

MHS will play against Washburn Rural in their next game on May 10. Washburn Rural is a stronger team, so MHS will need to prepare for that.

“The next game is Washburn, which is a really strong team,” Hacker said. “We’re just going to be working on the fundamentals and just playing strong especially hitting wise because they do have some strong pitchers. So, we’ll probably be focusing on hitting and trying to time their pitchers.”

Before the second game against JC, there was a senior tribute that honored Hacker and Schurtz for their time on the team. During that, other teammates rewarded the two with flowers and hugs. Their parents also joined them during the tribute.

According to Hacker, having a strong connection with the team has helped them play better.

“Learning to play as a team is really important because this season we have a good team chemistry and it’s definitely helped us win a lot of our games,” Hacker said.

The team’s bond has allowed the girls to have cherishable memories and loads of fun while on the team.

“[My favorite part has] definitely been the teammates,” Hacker said. “The girls are a lot of fun to play with and they’re really competitive, so it’s fun to play with girls that have that same drive and passion for the game like I do.”

The coaches and teammates have had a major impact on the seniors. They are glad that they had that support throughout their time on the softball team.

“I just always want to thank the coaches and the teammates for always supporting me,” Hacker said. “And the games on Friday… I’m just really proud of my team and how we played.”