Hillcrest’s softball season is in full swing, and the Huskies have won four out of their ten games. However, they lost two of their most recent games, with Payson High beating Hillcrest 16-0 and Cottonwood winning 19-12. 

“[Losing] was able to show us our weaknesses so we can work… harder,” Ellie Lindquist, a senior on the team, said. “None of us walked out with our heads hanging. We were able to learn and grow from it.”

Hillcrest has beaten Altamont, Skyline, The Meadows School, and Brighton. The team is committing to improving, practicing for hours each week.

“Our practices are around 2 ½ hours long,” Lindquist described the team’s practices. “We start with the same warmups we do every day. We switch each practice from fielding to hitting. At the end of every practice, we do some conditioning.”

Switching what skills are focused on each practice is critical for softball, as positions vary each inning.

The team’s head coach is Anthony Ricci, who Lindquist describes as “one of the best coaches [she’s] ever played for.”

“He really lets the girls learn and grow from their mistakes,” Lindquist explained. “The environment is super friendly and fun to be around.”

The environment Ricci has worked to create makes it easy for the players to form close bonds with each other.

“Being on the team is such a great blessing,” Lindquist said. “All the girls are so inclusive, and they really make it feel like home.”

One of the things Lindquist likes most about softball is that it’s outside.

“[Because I’ve been] playing basketball and volleyball, I’ve been inside a lot,” Lindquist explained. “And as an outdoorsy person, I kind of felt like I was missing out on something… Being able to be outside and enjoy all weather has really been my favorite part [of playing softball].” 

The Hillcrest softball team has thirteen games remaining this season. Their closest upcoming game is against Uintah on April 1.