On April 11th, 2026, Salem College’s softball team battled against the William Peace (WP) Phantoms at our home field. It was a double header, so the day was inevitably packed with action. I had the pleasure of attending both games, in addition to interviewing a Salem softball player. Before the game started, I met up with Carlee Tart in the softball lounge area at 10:30 AM. We began going over my questions, and we couldn’t stop once the ball got rolling. Tart is a junior transfer student from Caldwell Community College. She plays both middle infield and outfield. We talked about the upcoming games and how she was feeling. “I’m a little nervous because it’s Senior Day, but really excited. I’m just ready to play.”
For starters, that Saturday was a hot morning. The sun was beaming down on the softball field, and there were very few clouds in the sky. With that, I never realized how little shade there is in an open field until I was sitting in the stands next to it. William Peace was visibly melting in their green and black uniforms. I knew this was going to be a tough game right away. The stands were fairly packed, and I managed to grab a seat on the back side of the benches. The senior day procession started right before the games. The four seniors for the 2026 class were Maleah Tate, Alli Stertzbach, Riley Dennis, and Morgan Lawson.
William Peace got two runs right out of the gate. Madison Talley and Emma Greeson both got on base and secured two runs to even the ball game. Going into the third inning, Carlee Tart fielded the second and third outs. Riley Dennis was still on the mound, continuing to dish out her pitches. In the fourth inning, the game became more stretched as WP got 3 runs from a home run by Kinley Jordan. The score was now 2-5 with Salem down. The 5th and 6th innings went by in a blur, with WP securing 3 more runs. Salem tried to answer but could only grab one more run through Tart, ending the game at 4-8.
William Peace didn’t waste time in the second game, getting on the scoreboard with a run at the top of the first inning. Our defense held strong with Tate and Tart making big plays. Salem was unable to get any action at the plate until Greeson and Tart got on base, and Greeson finally made her way across home plate to grab a run. The game was back and forth until the 5th inning, when WP gave two more runs. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Salem leveled the game, tied 3-3. With both teams neck and neck, WP eventually punched their ticket, scoring four for four on hits, and that was the game!
