The Ma’ayanot Rapids softball team, now standing at 6-1 with one game remaining, has had a terrific season. Behind the pitching combination of senior co-captain Ally Margulies and freshman Noa Applebaum, the team has outscored its opponents 65-18, with three games ending in shut-outs.  Solid hitting from sophomore Elisheva Katz, junior co-captain Alex Fuchs, and senior Micayla Rosenbaum has led to a team average of .560.

In the team’s most recent game against Frisch, the Rapids did not give up a run until the bottom of the 7th. The 11-3 win over Frisch secured the 2nd seed in the division, and guaranteed a first round-playoff game in Teaneck next week. “The players have really stepped up on defense and on offense,” says first-year coach Yoni Lieber. “We’ve been having fun and trying to improve our skills from each game to the next.”

Co-coach Kayla Applebaum (who was recently named to the HVIAC 2014 Softball All-Conference Team for her play at Stern College) has really seen improvement in the players’ hitting approach. “Though our girls’ defense has been strong from the start, their hitting has been drastically improving week by week,” notes Kayla.

The defense has been another aspect where the team has shown why it’s been successful. Junior shortstop Sarah Hiller has been showing some great glove work, including throwing out players from her knees. Defensively, in two of the shut-out games, players from opposing teams did not get past second base. “These players want to win,” Yoni goes on to say. “We have been practicing since the winter, and our goal is to bring the championship banner back to the school.”

The team is looking forward to the playoffs that will start after Memorial Day.