Softball: With Six Seniors Gone, Lady Raiders Look to the Future

Bolingbrook’s season is over after in Regional semi-finals 5-1 Tuesday.

Since the postseason began, the Lady Raiders showed new signs of life offensively, scoring 22 runs in their last three games.

But Downers Grove North was able to take advantage of the Bolingbrook' fielding flubs, which have been a consistent thorn in Bolingbrook’s side all season.

Bolingbrook coach Jean Ryan-Moak was pleased with the effort given by her team against the overmatched Downers Grove North.

“I think we did a good job holding a top team to five runs,” Ryan-Moak said. “Downers Grove North is an all-around good team. I know we went down fighting.”

Bolingbrook will lose six seniors—Becky Cronk (Carthage), Camile Pye (Western Illinois University), Karina Valdez (Millikin University), Amanda Duncan (Western Illinois University), Mallie Hall (Saginaw Valley State) and Eryn Pondo (Benedictine University) will all graduate next weekend.

Ironically, the six soon-to-be graduators intend on majoring in the medical or science field at their respective schools, and all six will play softball next season at the colleges they’re attending.

“It’s coincidental that we we’re going in the same area,” Pondo said. “Personally, I think we can use this experience to always keep fighting in our life. Never give up and always keep your head in the game.”

“This isn’t the end it’s the beginning,” Hall said. “This is the start to the next chapter. We finally meshed at the end of the year. Everything is just starting (for the seniors) there are more games.”

Ryan-Moak, meanwhile, will look to a group of underclassmen to fill the void. The skipper said she is optimistic toward the up-and-coming Raiders.

“They were a nice group of girls,” Ryan-Moak said. “The younger girls are going to have to pull their weight. The seniors had their ups and downs, but had a lot ghuts. The underclassmen have some big shoes to fill. The younger girls look up to be (at the varsity level).”