By Elizabeth Grace ’15, Perspectives Section Editor
At the beginning of the season, no one outside of the Country Day community would have predicted that the Country Day softball team would win the Miami Valley Conference title. Last year, the entire infield (except for pitcher Missy Dieckman-Meyer ’16) graduated, leaving many spots open. However, the team was not discouraged. Many players stepped up, took on new positions, and worked as hard as they could to eventually achieve the conference title.
Though the Country Day softball team has won the MVC in previous years, this is the first year that the two divisions of the league (Scarlet and Gray) have combined into one. The team had to face, and consistently defeat, more challenging opponents than in prior seasons. One of these opponents was Cincinnati Christian School, whom Country Day had not beaten in 12 years. Despite all odds, each Country Day player gave her best to produce a 5-4 win at home. Later in the season, Country Day then lost to Cincinnati Christian 6-7: the only loss in the team’s 11-1 conference record.
Overall, the Country Day team had an incredibly successful season. The team scored a total of 119 runs while only allowing their opponents 56. Dieckman-Meyer had an especially successful presence at bat; she led the team with a 0.578 batting average, five home runs, and 33 RBIs.
Though each player had her shining moments, Coach Scott Lemen noted that the team’s ultimate strength was in teamwork. “We came together as a team and accomplished our goal,” he commented. “The best part [of winning the MVC] was that it was a complete team effort.”
One of the games in which this teamwork most stood out was the second game against CHCA. In the first, Dieckman-Meyer hit two home-runs, securing a 5-4 victory for Country Day. In an attempt to prevent a repeat of the first game, the opponent decided to intentionally walk her, leaving the rest of the Country Day team to get on base and advance runners. Ultimately, Country Day scored eight runs to CHCA’s four. “Everybody had to step up,” commented Coach Theresa Hirschauer. “[This game was] another great team effort.”
While teamwork is important, leadership on the field is equally so. Though Coach Lemen was initially concerned with finding a vocal leader, he was pleasantly surprised as each player stepped forward at different moments to organize and encourage the team. He noted, “Watching the many leaders come forward at the right time was wonderful.”
Two such leaders were the seniors of the team: Elizabeth Wiesenfelder and Victoria Paff. Wiesenfelder and Paff offered support on and off the field with both skill and compassion, encouraging the team while providing key plays. Both had powerful hits, advancing runners and garnering plenty of RBIs.
While the seniors had a powerful impact on the team’s success, the underclassmen did not back down. The team’s only two freshmen, Olivia Robinson and Kaylin Hoffman (third base and short stop, respectively), were also leaders in skill and communication on the field. Robinson’s batting average was second only to Dieckman-Meyer’s, and her quick reflexes led to many crucial defensive plays.
Although Country Day’s winning streak ended with the first post-season game against Fayetteville, Coach Lemen is proud that the team accomplished its primary goal: winning the MVC. “No regrets,” he admitted. “This team worked hard all season, and pushed themselves to achieve their goals.”
As for next season, both Coach Lemen and Coach Hirschauer are excited to move even further. “We have a real nice group of ninth graders joining the team,” commented Coach Hirschauer. With the combination of higher numbers and a strong returning force, next year’s team will be sure to succeed. According to Coach Lemen, “the number one goal and expectation for next year is repeating as the MVC champs.”
