CB South Softball Honors Seven Seniors with Special Night

Central Bucks South softball celebrated its Senior Night on Monday. To have your senior recognition posted on the site, please send photos/info to SuburbanOneSports@comcast.net. Photos provided by Central Bucks South softball.

Central Bucks South softball was scheduled to play its Senior Night game against St. Hubert’s on Tuesday. After the cancellation of the season, coach Kevin Rosini – with the help of parent Elaine Hines and senior Katie Hines – planned a different kind of Senior Night that included plenty of familiar touches, including senior t-shirts, banners for each player and flowers that were delivered to the home of each senior during a drive-by.

At each stop, the senior’s walk-up song was blasted (Katie Hines – “The Champion” by Carrie Underwood, Maddie Rowley – “Goosebumps” by Travis Scott, Lindsey Bieber – The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco, Tara Tumasz – “Money Ball” by Dame, Ally McDaid – “Walk Man” by Tiny Meat Gang, Sophia DeFebo – “The Best” by AJ Afterparty and Liv Robinson – “Hot” by Young Thug). The night culminated with a stop at Central Bucks South and a visit to the Titans’ home field that included a photo of each senior in the spot they would have occupied on the diamond.

Coach Kevin Rosini said:  “The night was as nice as you could make it without playing a game. I was just so happy for them. I have to be honest – I get kind of emotional talking about this group. They were with me from day one – my first day at South as the coach was their first day in the program. I’ve watched them grow up a little bit. South was always a good program before I got there. This core group of kids – we’ve got two conference championships and we won a district title. Just watching them grow up not only into really good ball players because they are good ball players but just the great kids they are.

“All seven of them are going to college. Five of them are playing softball in college. We were so excited for this season. This is what they’ve been talking about. We all had it in the back of our head – ‘Four years, this is great. It can’t get much better.’ It’s been bittersweet, and it’s heartbreaking as I’m sure it is for all the seniors in the area. I get emotional talking about them because of how much they mean. The parents have had my back since day one. They’re just such good people, all of them. All the groups I’ve had so far have been great groups. They’ve all been special in their own right, but this group of seven – the fact that I’ve been with them since day one – they’re always going to have a place in my heart.

“I look at some kids who have waited their turn. They bided their time, and this was going to be their year. Sophia DeFebo waited her time to be that number one pitcher. This was her year. Lindsay Bieber waited her time to get to play. I could name every single one of them. All seven have contributed one way or another to this program, and they’re such good kids. Every coach is going to say they love their kids, and they should. I told them last night – I love these kids a lot.”

Senior co-captain Katie Hines:  “It was very kind of coach (Rosini) to allow us to do this because I know under the whole quarantine thing we had to stay six feet apart, but it meant a lot to know he was willing to do that as well as coach (Greg) Heydet and coach Ashley (Sullivan). It was a special night. Even though it wasn’t what we wanted it to be, I think it was still pretty cool.

“Originally, coach (Rosini) sat us down at what we thought was going to be one of our last practices, and it turns out we got outside, and he said, ‘I just got the call that we’re not allowed to practice, so this is it. I don’t know how long it will be.’ That was pretty devastating, I’m not going to lie. This whole thing has been horrible.

“Me personally, I’m going on to play in college, but a lot of the girls are not, so this was their last chance to play as a team. Maddy Rowley and I have been playing together since I was 12 years old, and that’s hard for me. Being co-captains, we never really got to be a captain, so Tuesday night when we ended at her house with our little caravan, it was pretty special to give her her sign.

“When we got to our field, I was definitely holding back some tears, and at the very end, we had a little tailgate where we all sat on the trunks of our cars – obviously, six feet apart. We reminisced, so it was very special. It was mixed emotions – I was happy to see everyone, but it was sad knowing what this would have been if we were still in school.”

Co-captain Maddy Rowley said:  “Honestly, last night (Tuesday) meant the world to me because I wasn’t sure the next time I was going to be able to see my teammates, so when I walked out my door and I saw all of them, I was so happy. It seriously was the best few hours ever. It was super exciting, and it was just nice being able to see everyone again. When I was driving home, it hit me – that was going to be our Senior Night, and we wouldn’t get the real thing. It’s really sad.

“I still can’t even fathom that we didn’t have a season. It’s so upsetting to me because I knew this year was going to be the best one. I was going to be stress free because not only was it my last year of high school softball – it’s my last year of softball altogether because I’m not playing in college, so it is really, really upsetting. I didn’t get to finish my season last year because I was out with an injury a little more than halfway through. I’ve been a starter for four years, and I thought maybe I’d get my 100^th hit this year. There were so many big milestones that I thought would be able to happen but now they won’t.”