The Lincoln Southwest Varsity softball team defeated No. 3 Millard West at Millard West High School on Monday by a final score of 6-1. The Hawks entered the game with a 3-1 record and ranked No. 4, while Millard West also had a 3-1 record, but was ranked one spot higher at No. 3.

The Hawks went down 0-1 in the bottom of the first, but freshman pitcher Alexis Bradley was able to rebound and strike out three batters in a row in the bottom of the second. 

“After the first inning I got more comfortable and in a rhythm,” starting freshman pitcher Alexis Bradley said. “I got in a focus that stuck with me throughout the game. I just tell myself to keep going.”

The Hawks tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with an RBI single by senior Josi Solano. They were able to follow that up with a two run fifth inning to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead.

“You try to just keep your emotions in check, and we work on that all the time,” head coach Mark Watt said. “Softball is a very challenging game. If you’re successful 40 percent of the time, that’s great. So you have to learn to deal with times when things aren’t going well. We know the game ends after seven innings, so if you’re behind early, it doesn’t make any difference. So we were right in it, we were locked in mentally.”

The Hawks then followed with two more runs in the sixth, and a solo home run by senior Emma Hain in the seventh. 

“I told the team yesterday that was a very promising win,” Watt said. “It was the first team that everybody expects to be in the State Tournament that we played, and it was at their place, and we had played pretty well so far, but hadn’t really stood out, so we played very, very well in all phases of the game, against a very good team, on the road.”

Bradley recorded 11 strikeouts and only allowed four more hits in the final six innings of the game.

“It is definitely a great feeling to have,” Bradley said. “After working on softball for most of my life, it is one of the best feelings to reach my goals and do well playing against upperclassmen.”

The next Silver Hawks varsity softball game will be on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6:00 pm against Millard North.