Inspiring Lady Pirates all returning after magical runner-up season

Every once in a while, a team gets to celebrate as they stand on the podium, having claimed their chance to say they truly are No. 1.

This spring the Garaway Lady Pirates came within an eyelash of getting to make that statement, falling one game shy in losing the Div. VI state title game to undefeated Tri-Village 6-0 on Sunday, June 8 at Firestone Stadium in Akron.

However, that loss doesn’t take away from the impressive run, one that saw this team earn the program’s first-ever state tournament appearance.

For a group that returns every single player next year, it sets the bar very high, and neither players, coaches nor fans will forget this season any time soon.

“This is huge for our program,” said right-fielder Kyleigh LaCroix, who had a monster weekend, going 4-for-7 with five RBI. “It’s school history, and we’re so young that we want to use this as a steppingstone for next year.”

Head coach Dennis Koshmider said this group is special because of its unique bond, family atmosphere and willingness to do whatever it takes to play together as one unit.

“This group has such great confidence as individuals, but they also have such great confidence in each other,” Koshmider said.

Several years ago Koshmider stepped away from the program he helped build and took on an assistant role in trying to rebuild the Hiland program. He said that experience really took him back to his roots of teaching fundamentals, and it was refreshing to have that experience.

“Getting an opportunity to come back to Garaway was special,” Koshmider said. “These girls were searching for a new voice, and I’ve never had a group that has bonded like this one. They love each other. There is no drama, and that is the strength of our team. It has been so fun to coach this group.”

Koshmider said this season has helped build a strong foundation, for the kids and the community, which showed up in force at the state tournament.

He said these opportunities don’t come along that often, and they won’t take this for granted. He also said this group serves as perfect role models for younger kids with a passion to play.

“Whether I’m here or not when these young girls step into the program, I know this current group has played a key role in inspiring them,” Koshmider said.

“I am so proud of this group,” shortstop Tru Tango said. “Everyone on this team is my best friend, and that is the feeling we all have. I feel like this is only going to make us closer, and it’s only going to get better from here.”

Lead-off hitter Krista Miller said while many people thought this team wasn’t capable of this type of run because of its youthful nature, they all believed something special could happen because of the tight bond and talent among this crew.

“I was sure we were going to get pretty far, but I wasn’t sure about playing on June 7,” Miller said following the team’s victory over Gibsonburg in the Div. VI state semifinal. “But here we are. We earned this, and we have this special bond and connection, on and off the field.”

Catcher Sophia Connor said this moment was one they all dreamed about but knew it would be a lot of work.

“This is beyond our wildest dreams,” Connor said. “That we are all back next year and with a couple of talented freshmen coming in next season, I think we are only going to get better and stronger.”

Third baseman Jaylene Jimenez said even though the magical season has ended, the aura remains, and they are already excited about what is to come next season.

“Our expectations now are incredibly high,” Jimenez said.

Nadia Pope, who started the deciding six-run rally in the win over Gibsonburg, said the future is bright, and this type of achievement will not only excite younger ballplayers, but also will do something more special.

“We started a legacy tonight that will hopefully keep rolling,” she said. “I’m excited to see where this takes us now.”

One other key component of this effort at state was the young girls sitting in the stands watching their idols play in the biggest games of their careers. The youth carried signs, chanted cheers and caught the vision of what might be their game in the future, and that was something star pitcher Audrey Miller said was exciting to think about.

“This was special for our community, and it’s really neat to see ourselves as mentors to these young girls who want to be here someday,” Miller said. “This ride has been so incredible, and to have everyone back is exciting. But we know that we have work to do, and we can always get better. There’s always room for improvement, but this weekend shows that we deserve to be here and shows how hard work has paid off.”