Apr 7, 2016 4 min read

As Ringgold’s bus left Oakland last Tuesday after the Rams won a non-section game in which they scored 26 runs to start the season, there wasn’t a lot of cheering or celebration.

Instead, there were tears.

It wasn’t out of sadness. Some players simply couldn’t grasp the emotion of joy following a victory. You can’t blame the ones who experienced a one-win season last spring, when Ringgold only scored 24 runs in 15 games.

Handling success is the least of the Rams’ worries. They’re just trying to keep an undefeated start going.

The addition of a few new players helped make Ringgold’s lineup one that can outslug an opponent.

Low on numbers, first-year head coach Erik Hilligsberg worked with Laura Grimm, Ringgold’s athletic director and former girls basketball coach, to encourage five new players to come out.

That includes four basketball players, three of whom compete in travel softball during the summer but had participated in track and field during the spring sports season.

Now, the group is pulling double duty and have quickly made an impact on the Rams’ softball program.

Ringgold (2-0, 3-0) is averaging 14 runs per game and is two wins away from matching its win total from the last two seasons combined.

“I met with the girls who weren’t playing to try to convince them to join the team and it wasn’t easy,” Hilligsberg said. “Luckily, I convinced them to join the school’s program. I just told them, ‘We’re going to do X, Y and Z, and you’ll be happy you decided to come back.”

So far, so good. Junior catcher Natalie Adams, who plays travel softball, was convinced by Grimm that it was possible to have success in track and softball during the spring. Soon, senior Bailey Cooper, junior Johnna Mocniak and sophomore Taylor Mendicino followed.

Even Sam Polaski, the Rams’ top pitcher, decided to rejoin the softball team after two seasons away. It was all a part of Grimm’s plan when she took over as athletic director. She immediately wanted to reenergize the school’s female sports, which had low participation and little success.

Adams is leading the team in RBI, Polaski is slowly rediscovering herself in the circle and each new addition has joined the four returning starters to give the Rams their first section win in two years.

“I think this group might have a chance to encourage girls who took a year off from softball to come back out and play,” Grimm said. “That’s a pretty good example of maybe you got discouraged, got injured or took a break from the sport for whatever reason, but the beautiful thing about high school sports is it’s never too late to go back.”

The players who returned for Ringgold had reasons not to want to go back. The Rams have had four coaches in four years, haven’t had a winning season since 2004 and haven’t reached the WPIAL playoffs since 2003, when they shared a section title with Trinity.

The team was shut out eight times last season and was a victim of the mercy rule in 13 of its 14 losses.

That’s why players such as senior outfielder Sam Hotz couldn’t help but get emotional after scoring 26 runs in a win over Oakland Catholic.

“They actually started to cry,” Adams said of the reaction following the win. “They were sad because we won. That was shocking. I’ve never seen anyone cry after a win. It wasn’t like it was a big game, but they were so happy. It made me feel good to be back playing.”

It’s also made Hilligsberg, who was an assistant at Baldwin last year, happy that his goal of building a winning program is heading in the right direction. There’s even more optimism that younger returning starters are blossoming.

Sophomore shortstop Lauren Gohacki is the Rams’ leading hitter and delivered four RBI in an 11-10 come-from-behind Section 3-AAA win over McKeesport Wednesday. Junior outfielder Johnna Mocniak and Mendicino both had six RBI, including two home runs, in the victory over Oakland Catholic.

When Hilligsberg took over, he knew the usual message from a new coach was stale at Ringgold.

It’s hard for players to not listen to a coach when they’re sitting in first place.

“Those girls were in tears and it was nice to just see them excited,” Hilligsberg said. “They were able to just experience a win. You can tell a team all you want, but unless you go out and see the results, it’s tough for them to change their minds.

“When they did that, that was special.”