On May 27th GP’s softball team was in the Championship game against their Wesco rivals, the Jackson Timberwolves, who were currently ranked top ten in the country. GP had played Jackson multiple times during the year and had never won. Going into the championship game they were coming in as underdogs, but many people held out hope that GP would hold their own and play a good game.

In the top of the second inning while GP was on defense Lauren Hufford unfortunately got hit in the head by a bad hop grounder. She had to pulled out of the game due to a concussion previously in the year. In the top of the fourth inning GP was down 5-0 to Jackson. GP kept making error and it made it really hard for GP to make up those runs. They tried their hardest to keep GP in the game.

This game was the battle of the pitchers. GP put out Faith Jordan to start out the game. When Hufford got hit, Jordan was moved to shortstop and Maya Mesa started pitching. With playing against a Wesco team, the Jackson hitter knew the way Mesa and Jordan pitch. Jackson’s pitcher Yanina Sherwood is a 2024 grad who is committed to UNLV, but GP has their fair share of D1 pitchers; Faith Jordan, a 2023 grad, is going to Fresno State in the fall, and Maya Mesa is a 2024 grad who is committed to Seattle U.

This game ended in a heartbreaking 5-1 Jackson. The game in the bottom of the 5th inning was delayed due to thunder and lightning, and while the game could have been played on Sunday the 28th or later in the day when the weather stopped, WIAA decided to not have the game play out further, ending it at 5-1. Many people from GP were disappointed that the game was not finished, but GP still came second in the state championship, showing their team prowess nonetheless.