ROYAL CITY — The Rattlers 10U softball team competed in a local tournament in Ephrata last weekend. According to head coach Lisa Lawrence, this was a great opportunity to see what her players can do.  

“It was our first tournament of the season. So, (we’re) working out a lot of cobwebs and just seeing what the girls can do. We're still developing and growing. A lot of our players are younger, but everybody has an interest in developing and growing, both individually and as part of the Royal City program. We're happy to be able to do that through the Rattlers,” she said.  

The Rattlers played four games over the weekend, three on Saturday and one on Sunday. On Saturday, they opened against the Tri-Cities Diamonds. The first inning was competitive, with the score being 5-4 heading into the second inning.  

Tri-Cities would hold the rattlers scoreless there and increase their lead by one point. In the top of the third, the Rattlers responded with three runs, reclaiming the lead at 7-6. However, Tri-Cities would rack up five runs in the bottom of the third and take the lead at 11-7. The Rattlers were able to score one more run, but Tri-Cities would secure the win after strong pitching.  

Their second game of the day would be just as competitive. The Rattlers would battle to the very last inning but ultimately fell short to the Maniacs Medrano 10U team. In their third game, they played the 10U Maniacs-Conner 10U team, where they fell short with a final score of 12-0. Sunday would be similar after they fell to the Corteva Wave 11-1.  

According to Lawrence, it’s not about the outcome of the game that is most important. To the team, it's about having fun while improving their skills, which Lawrence feels they accomplished last weekend.  

“I think the more the girls are getting on the field and playing and learning,” she said. “If we're learning as we go, that's the end goal. The wins and losses to this team don't matter so much as having fun and just learning the game and improving our skills.” 

One highlight from the weekend that stood out for Lawrence was a double play by Ruby McHugh. She fielded a line drive at shortstop and threw a runner out who did not take up at first base.  

“She's also a pitcher for us; she is putting in a lot of extra time learning to pitch and really learning those key fundamentals. I think she's going to be a fun one to watch in years to come,” Lawrence said.  

Since its inception in 2007, Lawrence praised the baseball team for being a good outlet for players to learn and develop skills in softball as they grow into official school athletics. She said they have learned quickly and will have strong fundamentals to build on.  

“Just getting girls playing more ball is the end goal and if we can get them learning good skills while we're at it, even better,” she said.