Go Owls!

  

This spring Noa surprised us a bit and decided to join the Sheridan softball team. Maybe it had something to do with Burke (Noa's future high school) exempting you from the P.E. requirement if you play a team sport, or that softball seems like a great sporty LGBTQ+ activity, or maybe it was simply the family love of "base" based sports finally rubbed off on Noa. Whatever the motivation, we're super proud of Noa for trying something new and donning the "tools of ignorance" to play catcher for the Owls.

On Wednesday the Owls took on Westminster in the Capital Athletic Conference Varsity Girls Softball playoffs. With Noa behind the dish, Westminster loaded the bases in the top of the first, but the Owls worked their way out of the jam and escaped the inning without giving up any runs. In the bottom of the inning Sheridan scored a run to take an early1-0 lead. Things got a bit dicey in the second with Westminster scoring four runs, but Noa made a great play at the plate for a one-two put out that limited the damage. The Owls scored again in the third to cut the lead to two, but Westminster put up two more runs in the fourth to take a 6-2 lead. 

With five minutes left before the no-new-inning time the umpire called for one more inning, and the Owls were ready. Noa came up to bat with one out, nobody on, and with a keen eye drew a walk. The next batter hit the ball sharply to short and when they bobbled the ball and threw late to first, Noa made the smart play and hustled around to third. After the next batter struck out, the Owls got a clutch hit driving Noa home to make it 6-3. Then the flood gates opened and Sheridan strung together a series of hits to cut the lead to one. 

With a runner on first, the Owls hit what looked to be a sure double. But with an understandable TOOTBLAN, the lead runner stopped at second while the batter made the turn around first as the ball confounded the outfielders. When both runners met at second and realized their problem, the lead runner broke for third, and the batter ran back to first. While it looked like they were both safe when the throw to first was late, the umpire called the batter out for making contact with the opposing player at first. 

There was a bit of frustration amongst the Owls having their comeback thwarted and their season ended on such a controversial play, but they quickly decided it was one of their best games of the year and celebrated their third place finish and a great season of Sheridan softball.