Rye High School’s girls softball team approached the mid-point of their season this week with a 4-4 record. Despite a tough loss to John Jay Cross River (10-3) and a narrow defeat at the hands of Mahopac (2-1) earlier this month, the team rallied during Westlake High’s annual tournament, defeating Byram Hills in the first round and then bouncing back against Pleasantville to win the four-team competition. (Although the tournament wins contributed to their record, they didn’t affect their place in their Division 1 area-league’s standings.)

“Even though the competition wasn’t the toughest, we still brought our A-game,” Captain Millie Brooks said. Both Brooks and freshman standout Penelope Gilmore earned spots on the Westlake All-Tournament Team for their stellar contributions.

Brooks said that, after the players returned from a spring-break training trip to Florida in March, she noticed a clear shift in the team’s dynamics. “It was right at the start, which was fantastic, because those scrimmages provided invaluable learning experiences and boosted everyone’s confidence,” she said.

“We’re a relatively young team, so I think we’ll continue to improve as the season progresses and we get more game experience,” she added. “With that we can gain confidence and minimize errors in order to unleash our full potential.” Aside from Brooks, a senior, and Gilmore, other players to watch are freshman Caroline Joyce, a center fielder and pitcher, and sophomore Tessa Labovitz, shortstop.

The Garnets play next at home vs. Nanuet on Monday, April, 29, again at home vs. Spring Valley on Wednesday, May 1, and at Eastchester on May 4.