The softball team hit the road for their season opener on March 26, showing little signs of struggle. They defeated North Central with a commanding 14-2 victory. Starting their season with a win, they extended their winning streak to 12 games dating back to last season.

The Royals got on the board in the first inning after North Central had a defensive miscue. Senior Maya Valenta hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one run. The team built off this in the fourth inning, scoring seven runs on four hits.

Offensively, junior Kenzie Lee stole the show, hitting a grand slam to center field. Playing in her first varsity game, Lee expressed her excitement.

“It felt great to hit a homerun after hitting a fly out to leave at-bat before,” Lee said. “It took all of the nerves out of playing my first varsity game.”

When asked about her hopes for the season ahead, Lee had many goals.

“I hope that as a team we start to come together more and get used to playing together,” Lee said. “I hope that we can take each game one game at a time and just keep moving forward day after day.”

On the mound, junior pitcher, Grace Swedarsky, delivered a stellar performance, striking out eight batters and walking none.

“I felt really good about our first game,” Swedarsky said. “We hit the ball really well and had high energy throughout the whole game.”

Recently, Swedarsky was selected to be part of the IndyStar Softball Preseason Super Team. She is excited to prove why she deserves the spot on the team and has set high standards for herself.

“It feels really special being a part of the IndyStar Softball Preseason Super Team because my hard work is paying off and being noticed,” Swedarsky said. “It also gives me more motivation to perform this season as well because of the higher expectations from people around me.”

These ladies are set to face Carmel for their second game of the season on March 28. Make sure you support our Softball Team by showing up this season, as they fight for back-to-back state championships.

Gallery • 19 Photos

Lila Oliver

Softball defeats North Central 14-2 at North Central High School on March 26, 2025.