For Mount Vernon senior pitcher Harley Daniels, the Mountaineers’ amazing start to the softball season has extra meaning. “It wasn’t the best, because it just ended,” Harley said.
Harley and the Mount Vernon girls basketball team had to end their season early because they didn’t have enough healthy players to finish the season. So Harley and her teammates did the only thing they could. “We moved on to softball,” Harley said. “And we’re doing great at softball.”
The Mountaineers are enjoying a 30-win season with Harley as the ace closing in on a 200-strikeout season. “There’s nobody that I can really think of that works harder than her,” said Mount Vernon’s Head Coach Matt Schubert. “So she does a great job leading by example.”
It’s an example she set when she was the only senior on the basketball team, meaning she was one player who knew she wouldn’t be able to play again. Her teammates on both teams noticed the way she handled it. “I definitely think she leads by example,” said sophomore Addie Hall, who plays basketball and softball. “She’s very kind, in and out of sports. I’ve never seen Harley be mean to anyone or yell at anyone. She’s always helpful and really respectful.”
Now, as these Mountaineers chip away at their postseason goals, it’s sweeter for Harley.
“It’s important to me because I love playing softball,” she said. “I don’t want to end it in a poor way. I’ve always had goals in softball to do extremely well just because I love playing it.”
Perhaps it’s because Harley knows what it feels like to have her season end before it’s supposed to.
The way this team is playing, this season may not end until they win it all.
