“Let’s get it started.. In hereeeee” plays over the softball field speakers before the start of every Carlisle High School home game. However, there’s still some time before The Black Eyed Peas will be heard again in the field. Until that time arrives, “the base keeps runnin’ runnin’, and runnin’ runnin’” in the pre-season.
Mackenzie Lilley, the Herd’s starting center fielder sporting jersey number 2 expresses her excitement for the spring season. She’s eager to see how the team will play together and what they will accomplish while having fun in the process. Her favorite part of the previous season “was winning against Mechanicsburg in the 9th inning.” It was a memorable win for the program against the Wildcats. They had not beaten Mechanicsburg in many, many years, until their home game at the Keystone turf fields. Both the JV and varsity softball and baseball teams played at the four turf fields, but varsity softball was the only victor in the over innings. Lilley hit the walk-off in this game, so it’s not so surprising that it was her favorite part of last spring.
Repping the number 33, starting pitcher Alexis Kline also has a good feeling about the upcoming season. She says, “Starting our off-season practices in the beginning of January and seeing that talent that we have returning and coming in, I am excited to see how well we can do this season.”
Not only that, but she’s looking forward to team bonding activities again. Last year, the girls decorated their own cowboy hats for the playoffs. They gathered some art supplies and their creative brain cells, then laughed the night away as they crafted special cowboy hats to wear to the game. The team would go on to win their first home playoff game in program history, which was Kline’s favorite part of the previous season. To her, “It was such a cool experience and the atmosphere was something that I will never forget.” Overall, she is “the most excited to just get back out there with the team and compete.”
The girls understand better than anyone that there’s no ‘I’ in team, and coach Laura Keim can’t wait to let that shine through this year. She is excited for everything this season and describes that “softball is the hands-down best part of my school year.” She loves “seeing who steps up in game situations and who will step up as leaders for the team.” Coach Keim only aims to improve from the remarkable previous season with bigger and better goals to reach, and she believes they’re in good shape to do that. With returning key pieces and hopeful underclassmen this spring looks to be another successful one for Carlisle High School Softball.
Mark your calendar for the first game of the season on Monday, March 17, and come support Carlisle softball in their game against New Oxford High School!
