Aug. 3, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A group of current and former South Carolina softball student-athletes took time last week to encourage the Dentsville Softball All-Stars 10U team prior to their trip to the Dixie Softball Angels Traditional World Series.

Six players from last year’s Gamecock softball team spoke briefly at the Dentsville squad’s final practice, attempting to give the team confidence in their skills and preparation prior to the national tournament finals.

“We signed some bags and gave them some words of encouragement,” said former Gamecock Kaitlin Westfall, the person who led the group. “I told them to be confident in their preparation and to go out and have fun! It was a lot of fun, and it’s awesome when we get the opportunity to give back to the game that has given so much to us.”

The Gamecocks also shared some of the fun they had together, showing the young girls some of their warmup moves. “They also heard that I like to dance,” added Westfall, “so they played the wobble. Naturally, we all went out and wobbled!”

The talk (and maybe the dancing) helped, as Dentsville came back from losing their first game to get to the national semifinals, falling to eventual champs from Rockhingham West, North Carolina. The South Carolina group lost both matchups against the champs, including an extra-inning affair in the first round of the tourney.