The softball team (4-3) triumphed against Troy High School (0-7) at home on Thursday, April 16, with a league game score of 9-2.

After falling short in previous games, head coach Alia Marquez said the team entered its matchup with a renewed sense of urgency — a mindset that translated into a decisive win.

“Our mindset is that everyone is out to get us,” Marquez said. “[We’ve] got to come in and attack them like they’re attacking us.”

From start to finish, the head coach said the girls sustained consistent energy on both offense and defense, and the team’s resilience truly shone when its plays were full of intensity.

“The team’s energy today was absolutely phenomenal,” she said. “After the game, I told [the girls] that’s what I expect for the rest of the season. Their passion is what’s going to carry us.”

Beyond the team’s overall success, individual moments also stood out, including a standout grand slam from infielder freshman Destiny Duff, who said that she was able to shift her momentum in the game.

“Honestly, hitting that grand slam was kind of my highlight today,” Duff said. “I felt like my first at-bat wasn’t good, so I had to really come in clutch to help my team get back in the lead.”

Another key performance came from senior Elayna Marquez, a catcher and third baseman, who also made a major impact on the team’s win, she said.

“I think I really fulfilled my role as a catcher,” Elayna Marquez said. “My defense was strong: I didn’t let anything get by me, and I also had a great base running today — I was zooming.”

Late into the match, Elayna Marquez said the squad was focused on securing the win.

“Towards the end, I was like, ‘Okay, we got this game in the bag,’” she said. “‘Let’s go for a few more insurance runs in case something happens in either the bottom of the current inning or the top of the seventh inning.’”

Upon reflection, the head coach said she is extremely proud of the team, as she said she can actively see its camaraderie soaring.

“The culture of this team and the program is a lot better,” the head coach said. “They’re slowly, but finally starting to come together and work efficiently as a team, having each other’s backs.”

Following the win, the head coach said she was pleased with the team’s performance — noting both its progress and the improvements still needed as the season continues.

“After this game, we’re definitely going to keep practicing our hitting since that’s our strong point,” she said. “If we can cultivate that skill and get really good, then we’re going to be successful in every team we play against.”

Duff said she feels optimistic about the upcoming game.

“Our energy was really, really great,” she said. “I feel amazing for the next time we play.”

In addition to the group’s general reflections, Elayna Marquez said that there are still areas she hopes to improve on as the games progress further into the year.

“We tend to fall behind when it comes to scoring runs in the beginning of the game,” Elayna Marquez said. “Focusing on scoring runs in the start will make it a little bit easier for us to win ball games — that way we’re not stressing on scoring last-minute runs towards the end of the game.”

As the Lady Lancers move forward with this season, the head coach said the girls hope to carry the adrenaline from the win into their upcoming league games.

“It’s always nice to finish the week on a win and then go into the next week with good momentum,” she said. “I think keeping that positive energy is going to support us throughout the rest of the year.”

The group will compete in its upcoming league match against Esperanza High School on Tuesday, April 21, at 3:15 p.m. on the Sunny Hills softball field.