Stoneham High School Softball Team Recalls 2012 Season

The softball team may have finished with a losing record, but even though it was a tough year, third baseman took away some of the good aspects from the season.

“With some girls who had never played at the varsity level before it got their feet wet for next year,” Anthony said. “(We) learned real fast that even if you are not the best team in the league and (don't) win every game, you can still have fun. Sometimes winning isn’t everything.”

Anthony discussed the challenges of the season that led to the team's 5-15 record.

“If you look at how the games went there was just one inning that made us lose every game,” Anthony said. “There would just be mental errors that caused extra outs which lead to more runs and that was our biggest downfall of this season.”

Anthony recalled her most memorable moment from the season which was her last game in a Spartans uniform.

“Going into the game we knew we had nothing to lose, so we just (did our best),” Anthony said. “Holding a team that was ranked in the top 10 to a 0-0 game for four innings was a great feeling. Things were clicking and we were just having fun. Unfortunately, we lost the game 4-0, but it was still a great game to play in and I had so much fun.

"This season might not have been what I was exactly hoping for, but I enjoyed the season.”

Left fielder said that even though the season did not go well, the team learned how to keep a positive attitude and stay focused on the game to fight back when trailing.

“As much as we hate to lose games, there is always something good that can come out of it because we were able to pinpoint our mistakes and work to fix them,” O’Quinn said.

O’Quinn confessed that the lack of focus in one or two innings was a big part on why the team did not win many ballgames.

“When it was late in the game and our opponent stole the lead, it was hard for us to keep up and start a rally,” O’Quinn said. “Some games we were able to hold them the entire game and jump ahead, but most games we had to fight back.”

O’Quinn recalled a memorable moment when her coach told her to take a different approach at the plate.

“I struggled at the plate most games because I had a hard time getting mentally prepared for my at-bat and making contact,” O’Quinn said. “As you could imagine, it is very frustrating to ground out or strike out every time. I wanted more than anything to be able to hit the ball far and get on base.

"One day at practice, midway through the season, my coach asked me to try batting lefty in the cage instead of righty. I took his advice and I made great contact on my very first swing, along with the second, third and so on.

“From there on out, I got many more hits and made bigger contributions to the team. I wish I could have discovered this earlier in my softball years, but I am happy that I tried it before it was too late. I was finally able to regain my confidence as a player thanks to my coach.”