On Sept. 24, Webster University’s softball team defeated Saint Louis University, a Division I school, in a fall season game 3-2 without a head coach.
Despite holding a 1-run deficit until the sixth, the Gorloks were able to bring in three runs in the sixth inning thanks to RBI singles from Katie Croxall and Paige Thomas. The Gorloks allowed one more run in during the final inning, but Braidyn Burr was able to strike out the last SLU player looking.
Sophomore Brianna Wellen, third baseman for the Gorloks, believed that the assistant coaches played a big part in their success against SLU.
“[Our assistant coaches] a great job with what they were given. I think with their help and positivity it took us the extra mile,” Wellen said.
Alongside help from assistant coaches, the players had leadership of their own. Upperclassmen guided younger players and helped them adjust to the team dynamic.
“We all just hold each other accountable; the seniors are the ones we look up to and make sure we do everything that needs to be done,” Wellen said.
The previous head coach Katie Griffith left three weeks before the start of the fall semester. She was offered a pitching coach position at Southern Illinois University, a Division I school.
Despite lacking a head coach, the players had guidance from two assistant coaches. Morgan Mansur and Robin Jones stepped into leadership roles as the search for a head coach is underway. Scott Kilgallon, director of athletics at Webster, says the university plans on hiring a new head coach by the end of the semester.
This did not stop the Gorloks, however, as their leadership and team dynamic contributed greatly to the team’s success against SLU.
“We get along so well. I really feel we are all super close to each other,” senior utility player Kaelyn Kearney said. “We make sure everyone is held accountable and is doing everything we can to make sure we have a great season regardless of our circumstances.”
Defeating a Division I school was an experience that very few athletes at Webster get to experience, and for the players, a memorable one.
“Beating SLU felt awesome! It was one of those things where it didn’t feel real at first,” Kearney said. “I just remember being lined up in the dugout and running out onto the field as soon as we won that game. It was great to celebrate with the team and realize what we had just accomplished.”
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