A force again: IR softball rides dominant play, chemistry to playoffs

The Indian River softball team entered 2017 with one main objective: make the DIAA state tournament and compete for a state championship.

Prior to the season, playoff appearances had been hard to come by for the Indians, who missed out on the tournament in 2015 and 2016.

But led by head coach Erika Murphy, Indian River was determined to finally make it over the hump and make the season one of the most memorable and competitive ones in recent history.

That goal was accomplished.

“It was a really special season,” senior outfielder Sam Mumford said. “Erika told us before the season that this was the best team she’s coached here. We all had great chemistry, we got along on and off the field, we’re all friends and it was really just a magical season.”

With a mix of youth and experience, the Indians used a six-game winning streak in the second half of the season to punch their ticket to the DIAA playoffs. Indian River was awarded the 10th seed in the playoff bracket and had difficult opponents in its path toward a state title.

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One game at a time, the Indians worked their way through the bracket, taking down top teams like Red Lion Christian Academy and No. 2 Lake Forest. With just 21 outs standing between Indian River and the championship game, the team prepared to take on No. 11 Milford in the semifinal round.

But the clock finally struck midnight on the Indians' playoff run. The bats fell silent and the pitching struggled as Milford took down Indian River, 18-5 May 27. The Buccaneers later went on to win the championship, toppling Delmar, 17-9.

“We were definitely disappointed. The game before, we had put all our energy in it and emotions, and we were kind of exhausted,” sophomore pitcher Abigail O’Shields said.

Despite the loss, Mumford was quick to point to the season's positives and the momentum that has now been built going into next year.

Becoming a united unit rather than a group of individual athletes on one softball field was the key to accomplishing success in the senior leader’s eyes. Though she won’t be a part of the team due to graduation, she expects the Indians to go into 2018 knowing they have what it takes to compete with the best softball teams in Delaware.

“We kind of just merged into one. Everyone wants to do well for themselves, but we all just put that aside and played as a team and made sure the team would win,” Mumford said. “It’s a teammate's job to help anyway they can, and I want this team to go on and keep doing great things — I don’t want to see them take any steps backwards.”

Maintaining good chemistry is something the team knew it needed to accomplish if they wanted to ensure their season ran well into May. The three seniors, Mumford, Madison McGee and shortstop McKenzie Collins, used their familiarity with Murphy to display to the underclassmen what was expected come practice and game day.

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At the plate, Indian River wanted to start fast and put runs on the scoreboard in the first three innings.

Through their practice and preparation, everything went as planned on offense as the season began. The Indians averaged 13.5 runs per game in the first four games, blowing out teams like Polytech and Seaford.

As the year progressed, their numbers dipped at times, but the squad still ended the year averaging double-digit scoring.

“We did what needed to be done to get to the playoffs," O'Shields said. "We did some things differently and it worked in our favor."

Along with team chemistry, a good balance of offense and defense was also important for the Indians to advance far. A pitching trio of O’Shields, Marley Evans and Nicole Patille on the mound gave Indian River the threats they needed on both sides of the ball.

“Every day before the season, I practiced every single day. The pitchers as a whole, we each got a pitch, and we worked on different situations that could come up during the game,” O’Shields said. “We let each other know what was going on during games and how we were going to deal with it.”

For O’Shields, taking that next step from a freshman to a sophomore was a key factor in the Indians’ impact on the mound and on defense. She said with Murphy’s guidance and her own personal growth, she was able to become a solid, consistent player her team could always rely on.

With three ace pitchers and a dominant defense to back them up, Indian River forced five shutouts and allowed an average of 4.6 runs per game.

The defense has the potential to be as effective in 2018, with six of the nine starters returning, but the team will have to make do without the senior leadership of its three graduating players.

"They kept us focused on our goal and kept us positive," O'Shields said regarding the seniors. "They never gave up and always had a positive attitude."

But with the chemistry that was built this past season, and the experience of competing and winning through the playoffs,  the Indians are confident they have what it takes to go even further next year and bring home a state championship.

"We're still pumped — (the loss to Milford) definitely motivated us to get back there next year and win it all,” O'Shields said.