Most people don’t think about softball in the dead of winter, but the Tyrone Lady Eagles are already preparing for the upcoming season by competing in an indoor league at the Iron Horse Sports Complex in Windber.

Last year the indoor season was canceled due to COVID-19, but it’s back this season and the Tyrone girls are working hard to get a head start on the spring season.

“By not having the indoor league last year, it got our team off to a little bit of a slow start,” said Tyrone head coach Doug Myers. “Because of the weather in Central PA, it is really hard sometimes to get outside scrimmages before the season, so we really depend on our winter league a lot.”

Because of this and with COVID, Myers saw 2021 as a rebuilding year.

“We lost the entire 2020 season to COVID, and that year we had a senior pitcher and a senior catcher that we had to replace without any varsity experience,” said Myers. “We also had three sophomores and four freshmen including a pitcher starting with no varsity experience, so it was a challenge.”

Because the team is able to play in the league, the girls will see improvement in many skills and build team chemistry.

“I feel the indoor league is going to help us develop as a team and grow stronger and learn to play as a whole,” said three-year letter winner and senior Maecy Tuskovich.

The softball team finished the season 7-12 last season and just missed qualifying for the playoffs.

“I was very heartbroken when we lost to State College and didn’t make it into the playoffs,” said Tuskovich. “But after losing that is what makes the drive even better for my teammates and me to make it into the playoffs this season.”

Even though the outcome of the season wasn’t what the team expected, the girls did accomplish major goals.

“The players responded well by getting seven wins on the season and having big wins over PO, who we ten-run ruled, Penns Valley, who had six seniors, and Central, who our program had never beaten before,” said Myers. “The rebuilding is finished now and we are very optimistic about the 2022 season. I can’t wait to get started.”

With only losing two starting players, playing in the winter league will hopefully get the softball team to their goal of making the playoffs, winning districts, and even winning states.

“In 2019 we played five games in the indoor winter league from January through February. We went 5-0 in that league and we were really playing well,” said Myers, “I truly believe that because of the opportunity we had to play in that league, we started the season with a 5-0 win against Bellefonte – the first time we beat them in over 15 years. We went on to finish that season with 14 wins and 6 losses. It was the best record this program ever had. We are very fortunate to be playing indoor softball. It has helped our program tremendously.”

The girls play every Saturday through February 19, working towards the great season they have envisioned. Their schedule is as follows:

Saturday 1/15 5:00-6:25 vs. Central Cambria

Saturday 1/22 3:30-4:55 vs. Bellwood-Antis

Saturday 1/29 3:30-4:55 vs. LK Lightning

Saturday 2/5 5:00-6:25 vs. Ligonier Valley

Saturday 2/12 5:00-6:25 vs. Philipsburg-Osceola

Saturday 2/19 2:00-3:25 vs. Cardinals