The Compton softball team is embracing the underdog role in the Moore League this season. They are practicing at nearby Roosevelt Middle School because of the on-campus construction and they’re roster is full of players who are learning the game on the fly.
Third baseman and catcher Erickq Soto is one of the team leaders who had never played softball until she got to Compton to be mentored by DeShawn Kelly on and off the field.
“She has taught me to read the game well, keep eye on the ball, and the shot hop practice really helps,” Soto said. “She makes sure we go to practice and put our academics first. She also makes us go through harsh practices and that helps us to be better.”
Soto added that the demanding practices are the reason she has developed fast hands with her glove and bat. She doesn’t have any family members who played softball so she said, “it was really up to me to push myself and practice by myself at home. I have a passion for softball now.”
That passion has been put to the test with practices and games both requiring travel.
“Sometimes we ignore it and sometimes we use it as motivation and hype ourselves up knowing we’ll have a better field soon,” Soto said of playing at Roosevelt. We motivate ourselves to play hard and play aggressive”
