FLORIDA, Mo. — Amidst two separate journeys in different time zones, fate found its bridge when the Grand View University softball team traveled to Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida for a game. A significant moment unfolded as Kaitlyn Moses, a senior catcher at Grand View, hit a crucial home run but was injured running the bases.
Last February, the game was coming to a close with Grand View losing,4-1. When Moses stepped up to the plate, she hit a home run. As she began to run around the bases she felt her ankle give out. The injury prevented her from running the rest of the bases.
The celebration turned to concern when her team realized they were unable to touch her due to game rules. Moses found herself between the bases in pain.
Suddenly, two Southeastern players turned to their coach and asked if they could carry Moses so her points would be counted. Chapel Cunningham and Leah Gonzalez of Southeastern stepped up, carrying Moses around the bases, exchanging the lead for a lesson in true sportsmanship.
" She just kept saying sorry," Gonzalez said about Moses as she carried her. "you hit a home run, you deserve this credit right now."
Grand View University, a small school in Des Moines, Iowa, with a knack for softball success, encountered a profound lesson in sportsmanship during their visit.
Ranked as high as 4th in the country, Southeastern's Fire boasted eight All-Conference players, a testament to the positive environment fostered by Coach Kayla Watkins. The team's playbook of character sometimes unfolded in front of their opponents, revealing the true essence of competition.
Grand View may have won the game, but the lasting memory isn't in the final score. It's in the genuine display of humanity by the Southeastern players.
Moses, now in recovery, reflects on the selflessness displayed, noting that doing the right thing, even when it doesn't benefit you, is the ultimate act of kindness.
In college softball, this game left a mark far deeper than numbers on a scoreboard, proving that some victories are measured in character rather than points.
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