The varsity softball team finished its season with a record of 9-9, a significant improvement from the team’s previous season, in which the Tigers only won one game. Sparked by new coach Jacqueline Cotton, the team finished fourth in the DAC-VII 4A Conference, just one game behind Jordan High School, with whom the Tigers split their season series.
In the conference tournament, the Tigers pushed past Riverside High School with a 9-2 victory on May 2, propelled by senior Abigail Gordan’s three hits and senior Avery Ellis’s pitching performance, which resulted in Ellis being named MaxPreps Player of the Game.
The Tigers’ season, however, came to an end in the second round after Southern Alamance High School—the conference champions—defeated the Tigers 15-0 on May 4.
Coach Cotton encouraged her players to keep their heads’ held high, despite the shut-out ending their season.
“We played one more inning than the last time we played Southern Alamance; they scored seven less runs than the first time we played them; we got on base five times this game; and we played like a team that wanted to be there,” Cotton said. “The score of our last game does not truly reflect how we played.”
Chapel Hill High School’s varsity softball team hasn’t finished a season with a winning record in over a decade, so breaking even this season, the players say, is a major accomplishment and an indication of what’s to come for the team.
“[Our] record meant a lot because, as we were winning, we gained more confidence—we just kept pushing forward and trying to build on the momentum,” senior team captain Zaria Perry said. “If we played together, we knew we would have a good outcome—the outcome we wanted.”
Cotton, who had been an assistant coach the previous two seasons, was hired for the job this season and wanted to change the culture of the school’s softball program.
“Over the last couple of years, it didn’t seem like the team actually enjoyed the sport and wanted to be there, so my main goal for the season was to make softball fun again,” Cotton said.
Cotton set about strengthening the bonds among team members. The Tigers started the season by going to a UNC softball game, and the team went to dinner after every game—win or loss—to revive the players’ enjoyment of softball and the season.
“Some of my favorite practices were when we would break up into teams to scrimmage—everyone seemed to really enjoy when we did that,” Cotton said. “Players would have a chance to play in different positions, and the competition was so much fun.”
Cotton was voted unanimously by her colleagues as Tiger Coach of the Year, and Athletic Director Lewis Newman praised her work.
“When we met before the season, we discussed how to bring softball back; she has since completed everything we discussed and has gone above and beyond our expectations,” Newman said. “She has changed the culture of softball at our school, and I can’t imagine where we are going next year.”
The team struggled to break even for the first half of the season, remaining one or two games short of .500, until the Tigers went on a four-game winning streak from April 11 to 22. The Tigers beat Durham School of the Arts, Riverside High School and East Chapel Hill High School by double-digits and closed out the streak by resisting a three-run rally from Jordan High School in the seventh inning to win 8-7.
“Jordan had beat us 18-1 the last game we played and sent us home after three innings,” Gordon said. “But this time, the game came down to a seventh-inning nailbiter. After we won, I just remember hugging all of my teammates and the excitement we all had. It was the most fun I had ever had playing.”
For Cotton, the winning streak was a mark of the Tigers’ improvement, an example of how dedication and practice can better a team’s performance.
“Heading into spring break, we were feeling like the hard work was paying off, and the coaches were a little worried about missing a week of practice and games,” Cotton said. “It became more and more evident that we were playing the way we were practicing—when we practiced well, we played well, and the alternative was true, too.”
Earlier this school year, Gordon committed to Meredith College to play softball; she said her final season playing with the Tigers has prepared her for the collegiate level.
“I think my teammates really showed me how much fun softball can be when you do your best and stop being overly critical of yourself,” Gordon said. “I think with club season starting soon and then college, I really want to remember that and carry that positive mindset. I am so excited to play at Meredith. Playing college softball has been my dream since I was 10, and I feel like CHHS really prepared me to play and be a good teammate at the next level.”
