The Chicago Cubs had “The Goat.” The Red Sox had Bambino’s Curse. St. Pius X softball had the Marist Drought. Not since 2011 had Spellman Field witnessed the Lady Golden Lions best their arch–rivals. The drought ended on September 5 with the 9-1 victory over the War Eagles.
“It felt really hype,” said sophomore Megan Snipes. Snipes exploded for four RBIs and went 2 for 3 including a double and a two-run shot that disappeared over the wall in left center.
The offense generated power up and down the order, scoring 9 runs on 8 hits. Seven different Lions reached base, and the team stretched for four extra base hits.
“Our bats have really come around this year,” said junior Maggie Maloney, who was one of four players to hit a homerun in a comeback win over Chamblee on October 9.
It wasn’t only the bats that were on fire against Marist. The Lion defense was stifling. In an efficient outing, junior pitcher Maggie Laba gave up just one run on four hits. Her two strikeouts and .140 ERA frustrated Marist batters. The fielding was impeccable with no Lion errors, and every player on the field had a put–out or an assist.
“It was super exciting because Marist had a girl on base with two outs [in the final inning]. If she had scored, we would have had to play another inning,” said Maloney.
While there was much excitement, there was little time for celebration. Immediately following the game, the team boarded a bus for a tournament in Columbus, Georgia.
“We had to leave for Columbus right after the game. We were so excited. We got on the bus, and it was high intensity, high spirits the rest of the night,” said Maloney.
The Lions winning streak continued in Georgia’s third largest city as they downed Haralson County Raiders 8-2 and the Taylor County Vikings 7-4 to seal three wins in four days. The Golden Lions are on a 16 game winning streak. They are currently tied with Marist for first in the region. A coin flip right before the football game against Marist on October 11 will determine 1st seed in the region.
The region playoffs begin next week, and St. Pius is hosting the first round. Make sure to come out and support your Golden Lions Softball team!
