36 APRIL 2026 By Rachael Bouley St. Theresa Catholic School had a lot to celebrate after winning the Catholic Youth Athletic Association (CYAA) Softball Tournament, bringing their total to four championships and one second-place finish in the last five years. The team, made up of 17 students across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, went 6-2 in the regular season and 4-1 in the playoffs. They started strong with wins over Our Lady of Mount Carmel (20-2) and St. Francis (16-6), followed by a loss to St. Simon Jude (6-9). The team wasn’t deterred, storming back with a dominant performance to knock Christ Lutheran School out of the tournament 13-4 and make it to the final. “In the championship game, the girls really took the game plan to heart, which was not to get too high or low from inning to inning and play our game regardless of what had happened,” Coach Bill Hornaday said. “We knew St. Simon Jude would have a huge crowd at their home field, making following that game plan even more important, and they executed perfectly.” St. Theresa benefitted from a strategic plan to mix lineups against different teams and let everyone gain experience throughout the season. They knew St. Simon Jude’s mostly club softball roster and hard-throwing pitcher would prove to be tough competition, so they prepared. For the coaches, individual and team growth throughout the season was the biggest highlight. “Our goal was to let the girls have fun,” Hornaday said. “School sports are special, and it was important to us to let the girls be themselves versus the must-win mentality.” Coaches encouraged the girls to stay in the moment, not getting too excited or down based on the previous plays or innings, and it proved successful. The championship was the icing on top of a memorable season. “It was very emotional to see the girls realize they had won and celebrate with each other, especially for the eighth-grade girls and parents,” Hornaday said, speaking from experience as Kennedy’s dad in her last middle school season. In the regular season, Kennedy had a perfect game, striking out 11 of 11 batters. She hit .840 with a team- high 5 HR, 22 RBIs, and 30 runs scored. Ainsley Kopp hit .636 with 3 HR, 17 RBIs, and 15 runs scored on the season, plus five innings pitched with a 2.8 ERA. Other key contributors included Julie Hair, who hit .571 with two triples and 11 runs scored. Julie was a wall behind the plate, catching all innings and hitting .615 in the playoffs. Stella Swenson hit .542 overall, with strong pitching performances against CLS and SSJ as a sixth grader, while Reese Hernandez hit .531 with 20 RBIs and 20 stolen bases, the most on the team. A key defender at third base, Reese batted .556 in the playoffs with 1 HR and 9 RBIs. “The best part of the game was seeing the improvement of our team from the beginning of the season to the end and how everyone contributed,” Reese said. Reese hopes to make the softball team at Valley Christian and continue playing in college. “Softball has taught me that failure is okay, how important teamwork and communication are, and accountability,” she said. Fellow eighth grader Ainsley Kopp cherished the opportunity to play with her friends while also watching the younger girls improve. “My favorite part of the game was after the final play, everyone ran and started jumping and yelling,” she said. “I thought my dad was going to blow out his knee from running to us and jumping up so much!” By Rachael Bouley In a thrilling championship finale, the Veritas Prep Falcons erased an eight-run gap to clinch the Great Hearts Middle School League title – and an undefeated season. The Falcons faced Chandler Prep Academy in the championship game, having tied them 5-5 during the regular season. They finished with an undefeated record of 11-0-1 after winning the final game 13-12, which Head Coach Breck Saucier described as mission accomplished. “We knew we had a really good team from day one, and we talked about the goal of winning the league. But we never expected to find ourselves trailing by eight runs in the sixth inning of the championship,” Saucier said. “The team showed their heart and resilience, saving their best performance of the season for the last few innings of the final game.” It was a back-and-forth battle, with Chandler taking a 2-0 lead in the first, before Veritas made it 4-3 in the fourth. The Falcons fell back 12-4 in the sixth, and knew they needed a big comeback to have a chance at the championship. All the pieces fell into place in the bottom of the seventh with three outs to go. “We were losing 12-5, and before our at-bats, we huddled the team together and challenged every player in the lineup to just get on base,” Saucier recalled. “After a few walks, a couple singles, two triples, a few steals, and several other hard-hit ground balls...the entire lineup had come to the plate, the score was suddenly tied 12-12, and we were headed to extra innings!” Veritas held Chandler Prep scoreless in the top of the eighth, and then produced one run to walk it off in the bottom of the inning to bring home the hardware. After an emotional roller coaster of a game, with moments where they all thought their undefeated season was over, the coaches and families said they were incredibly proud of the team and their resilience along the way. “I hope the players realize that in baseball, it’s never over until the final out is made, and you should never stop competing,” Saucier said. “While baseball can be a complicated game, you can also keep a simple mindset by focusing on what you can control, being prepared to handle adversity, and staying positive in the moment, playing the game one pitch at a time.” The team was made up of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, with everyone contributing regardless of their age or number of years in the program. With many club-level players, the Falcons were able to build on their experience and talent, focusing on hitting, defensive skills, and pitching preparation. Sixth grader Oliver Fouts had the game- winning RBI and hopes to continue chasing his baseball dreams all the way to Division 1 in college. “Winning the championship was a goal from the start, so it felt surreal to achieve it. The best part of the game was having the opportunity to come through for the team and bring in the winning run,” Oliver said. Seventh grader Jack Colling acknowledged how everyone can contribute in some way to win. In an earlier game against Anthem Prep, he threw out the game-tying runner to secure the win in their first real comeback situation. He said they were overjoyed with how the championship unfolded. “When we decided to just have fun, that started our comeback to win the game,” Jack said. “Once we relaxed, we got into a rhythm and just kept seizing every opportunity, and it worked.” “The best part for me, as the closing pitcher, was to not give up any runs in the last two and one-third innings, getting some big outs and striking out several of their best hitters,” eighth grader Evan Saucier said. “Also, hitting a double in the fourth and then a two-run triple in the seventh when we really needed it.” Evan hopes to carry this momentum into a new chapter. “No matter how much you play, there’s always something new to accomplish,” he said. Falcons put together epic rally to win baseball championship St. Theresa softball celebrates CYAA championship win (front) Steven Twist, Tyson Hampton (back) Coach Riley Marcely, Coach Breck Saucier, Oliver Fouts, Jackson Piazza, Luke Cortes, Evan Saucier, Ben Von Kolen, Max Dolman, Stuart Bushard, Jack Colling, Jack Ladd, Cody Openden, Jack Bannister, Coach Kenny Cortes, Coach Danny Openden, Coach Mike Piazza. PHOTO COURTESY OF VERITAS PREP ATHLETICS Ainsley Kopp, Camille Coulter, Kennedy Elias, Alexa Russo, Aubree Piper, Blair Reese, Stella Swenson, Kennedy Hornaday, Reese Hernandez, Julie Hair, Everette Longo with Coaches Kevin Kopp, Matt Elias, Robin Swenson and Bill Hornaday. Not Pictured: Remi Hernandez, Makyla Tyson, Penelope Medina, Lauren Chavez, Paloma Merritt, Olivia Decio. PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL HORNADAY

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