Their season ended with a disappointing loss in the region-tournament semifinals.
Before that, the girls softball season had been a big success for the Langley Saxons, their best campaign in a few years, as freshman left-handed pitcher Norah Jacques emerged as a top player.
Team highlights of the spring were a season-opening victory against the defending 6D North Region champion, 2023 state-tourney runner-up and perennial power Madison Warhawks, then winning the Liberty District tournament.
The Saxons finished with a 19-5-1 overall record, with the squad enjoying its best season since winning the region in 2019 and the district in 2021.
“We had many players and starters back from last season, but Norah made a huge difference for us,” Langley coach Mike Sharkey said. “She’s also a very good hitter, too. Mix that in with having a good defense behind her when she pitches. Norah had a great first game of her high-school career against Madison, and she built on that.”
Jacques was a first-team all-region player for her performance as a freshman.
In a 10-0 first-round region-tournament win over Chantilly, Jacques threw a six-inning no-hitter with 16 strikeouts and one walk. In a seven-inning no-hit regular-season game against Marshall, she struck out 20.
“She throws hard and her ball moves,” Sharkey said.
With the bat, Jacques hit .443 with six home runs, five doubles, a triple, 31 hits and she drove in 28 runs.
Senior Charlotte Loving also was a first-team all-region player for Langley, hitting 412 with four homers, eight doubles and 28 RBI.
Langley senior Lillian Wu batted .410 with four homers, five doubles and 21 RBI.
Other top players were seniors Lauren Kim (14 RBI) and Emma Hussein (.300), junior Caitlin Hohenthaner (.320, 18 RBI), sophomores Mina Britt (13 RBI) and Megan Connery (.325) and freshmen Elena Calsyn (.333) and Juliet Sayers (.308).
The team hit 18 home runs.
Sayers, Calsyn and senior Lindsey Sherry also pitched for Langley.
In the region semifinal loss to South Lakes by a 7-2 score, Jacques gave up eight hits and struck out 12. Loving had two hits and Hohenthaner doubled and had two RBI. Jacques also doubled, with Kim and Connery having singles.