On June 4, McLean’s Softball team took on Madison in the regional final. The Highlanders were coming off of a four game win streak in which they won the district tournament, and qualified for the state tournament.

It was an offensive struggle for both teams throughout the game. There were few hits, and many displays of defensive prowess. For McLean especially, there were no hits throughout the first two innings, leading to very poor morale.

“We were trying to make sure that we were seeing the ball properly,” junior outfielder Addison Ward said. “However nothing was working, and it was clear that something had to change if we wanted to win this game.”

Defensively, the Highlanders remained strong. But crucial pitching mistakes and defensive errors led to three runs from Madison in the first two innings, putting them ahead and killing the McLean spirit. Despite this setback, McLean was able to score two runs of their own, making the game close once again.

In the end however, the hitting struggles continued to plague the Highlanders, and the game ended 3-2 in favor of the Warhawks.

“This game showed us what we needed to improve on,” junior outfielder Gennie Fagan said. “We are ready to bounce back in the first round of states.”