On April 8, 2026, the Malden High School Varsity Softball team matched up against the Medford Mustangs. Although it was more windy than the team would’ve liked, that didn’t stop Malden from trying their best.
The game started with Medford scoring three points off of a two-point RBI, a crucial offensive statistic credited to a batter when their plate appearance, such as a hit, walk, fielder’s choice, or fly ball, results in a teammate scoring a single followed by another one which led to another point. After a triple hit by sophomore Harmonie Ortiz, who is also a reporter for the Blue and Gold, the first inning ended with the Mustangs leading 3-0.
The Mustangs started the second inning with a groundout toward first base that was picked up by senior first-baseman Fiona Youmell. The top of the second inning ended the same way, keeping the score 3-0. Unfortunately, Malden was unable to earn any points, ending the second inning.
The third inning began as Medford was able to put runners on first and third base following a line-drive single and another base hit. After second base was stolen, Medford hit a pop-up that was caught by senior Sania Chen, one of the newest additions to the roster. Head coach Rebecca Krigman cheered Chen on and said, “That’s the one you wanted. You’ve been waiting for that.”
This didn’t hinder Medford’s success on offense after an RBI double brought two more runners past home plate, bringing the score to 5-0. This was then followed by another great catch by Chen, securing the second out with the bases loaded. Medford was able to add three more to their lead with an RBI single, bringing runners to first and third base. The runner on third was able to steal home plate and earn another point. With a pop-up hit to left-field, and no offensive success, the third inning ended with a 9-0 lead for Medford.
Medford’s success on offense would continue leading into the fourth inning as the players were able to increase their lead to 15, after four hitters were walked and two bases were stolen. After trailing 20 points, Malden was able to avoid a shutout as senior Nour Jaayfer was able to hit a single and steal third base. Jaayfer was then able to cross home plate due to an RBI single from senior Hailey Seeley. The game ended with Malden losing 20-1.
Although this was not the result the team was hoping for, the team has a lot of potential and room for improvement. The team could use support from their community and are accepting donations. Anyone is welcome to support the team by checking out their Instagram page, @maldenhighsoftball.
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