The future of Mars softball appears to be in good hands.
The 10U Mars All-Star travel softball team, known as Mars Momentum, capped an impressive summer with 20 victories, two tournament championships and two runner-up finishes while representing the Mars Baseball and Fastpitch Association.
But for Head Coach Bobby Bartle, the team’s success went beyond trophies and wins.
“I’m just so proud of this team for their effort and hard work,” Bartle said. “But more importantly, I’m proud of the way they played together as a team and supported one another throughout the season.”
“There is a lot of young softball talent here in Mars, and I can’t wait to see these girls and the entire program continue to grow.”
A Summer of Winning Softball
Aarna Dubey turned in a dominant season in the circle, recording 168 strikeouts over 76 innings while facing 286 batters. She finished the summer with a 1.50 ERA.
Dubey was backed by a deep pitching staff that included Bree Thompson, Everlyn Montgomery and Kate Buttermore, who also delivered strong performances throughout the season.
Momentum was equally productive at the plate.
Dubey led the team with a .500 batting average, followed closely by Maddie Polivka at .479 and Mia Tirado at .438. Natalie Goetz hit .400, while Montgomery finished the summer at .391.
Montgomery also earned Tournament MVP honors at the Hemlock Heroes Tournament in Green Tree, where Mars Momentum captured one of its two tournament championships.
Representing Mars
Bartle was assisted by coaches Joe Buttermore, Bill Montgomery, Ryan Nese, Stan Polivka and Ben Tirado.
The team’s summer was also supported by local businesses and organizations. The 228 Times was a sponsor of Mars Momentum, along with United Supply Chain Services, Pizza Roma Pine, Windhaven Bar and Grille, and SpeedPro.
The sponsorship helped support a team that spent its summer doing considerably more than winning softball games. The players represented Mars throughout the region while developing together as teammates and competitors.
By summer’s end, the numbers told an impressive story: 20 wins, two tournament championships and two runner-up finishes.
But Bartle’s assessment may ultimately say more about the season than the record.
They played together.
They supported one another.
And if this summer is any indication, Mars softball has another talented generation on the way.