Gatewood softball has found its stride at the right time.
The Gators enter the week with a 7-3 overall record after winning three of their four games following a comeback victory over Athens Christian on Aug. 18.
Gatewood head coach Dena Stancil said that win may have been the turning point her team needed.
“I think that might have been a catalyst for what has happened since then,” Stancil said.
Gatewood trailed Athens Christian before rallying for the win, a result Stancil believes showed her players exactly what they are capable of when facing a quality opponent and playing under pressure.
“That Athens Christian game proved to the girls who we are as a team, what we're capable of,” Stancil said.
The Gators did have a setback against Johnson County, when defensive mistakes and a quiet offensive performance led to a loss. But outside of that hiccup, Gatewood has continued to build momentum.
Now, with region play beginning Thursday, the Gators believe they are ready for the next challenge.
“We're going to pull from that success and the success that's followed and kind of ride the momentum,” Stancil said.
One of the biggest positives for Gatewood has been the production coming from throughout the batting order.
Stancil said the Gators aren't relying on one or two players to carry the offense. Instead, contributions have come from up and down the lineup.
Senior Avery Hill has been one of those players stepping up. Stancil pointed to Hill's performance against Athens Christian as her best game of the season.
The Gators have also benefited from a lineup adjustment that moved junior Mikaela Angel into the leadoff spot.
Angel has embraced the role, consistently applying her approach and knowledge of the game to put pressure on opposing defenses.
“She's really done a really, really good job in that spot,” Stancil said. “She knows her job, gets on. If she comes up and there's base runners on, she knows how to make stuff happen.”
Whether it has been getting a hit, driving in runs or taking a walk, Angel's ability to make smart decisions has become an important part of Gatewood's offense.
“Her IQ in that position has really paid off,” Stancil said.
Gatewood opens region play Thursday at home against Piedmont Academy, beginning what Stancil expects to be a competitive stretch of the season.
The Gators enter the matchup with confidence, but Stancil knows the region schedule will require consistency.
“I think we've got a good region,” she said. “I think that we can't sail through. We've got to be on our game. We've got to play our defense. We've got the bats that have to get going.”
Piedmont has shown an ability to score runs against some of the same opponents Gatewood has faced, something Stancil said her team will have to be prepared for.
Windsor Academy also awaits, while Flint River Academy presents more of an unknown for the Gators because the teams don't regularly face one another.
Still, Gatewood isn't backing away from the challenge.
The Gators' goals remain the same: compete for a region championship and earn a spot in Columbus.
Stancil believes those goals are well within reach.
“I think the region championship is definitely within reach and that'll secure our spot in Columbus,” Stancil said.
The Gators have spent the early portion of the season building their foundation. Now, Stancil believes the focus has shifted from simply learning the fundamentals to mastering the mental side of the game.
Gatewood is learning when to take an extra base, when to be patient at the plate and how to handle the pressure that comes with the postseason.
“Now we're in the mental part of the game,” Stancil said. “I think that's going to carry us through that tournament.”