BISMARCK — Poet and playwright Oscar Wilde famously penned the phrase “life imitates art far more than art imitates life.’’
This season, the Westville girls softball team is proving his statement to be true.
The Lady Tigers have been using a quote from the streaming production “Ted Lasso” as their motto. In the program, Ted Lasso, a fictional soccer coach played by Jason Sudeikis, tells his team “be a goldfish’’ because they have short memories. His philosophy is moving on from mistakes for happiness and success.
On Friday afternoon, Westville dug themselves into a hole with a 4-3 deficit against the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin Blue Devils but a four-run sixth inning propelled the Tigers to a 7-5 victory in a Vermilion Valley Conference softball contest.
“I feel like we’ve done really well this season when we are behind,’’ said sophomore outfielder Laney Cook, who drove home the winning run with an RBI double to left in the sixth inning. “Our phrase is ‘be a goldfish.’ Goldfish forget stuff very easily and that’s what we try to do.
“I read up on it in school and I’ve seen a lot of coaches use that phrase for their teams, so I started saying that to my teammates and it’s stuck.’’
Friday wasn’t the first game this season that the Tigers have rallied to win. Westville (14-1 overall, 3-0 in the VVC) also had come-from-behind victories against Paris, Robinson, Villa Grove and North Vermillion.
“That is something we have done this year,’’ Westville coach Jay Katavich said. “We are constantly coming back and I’ve been very pleased with that. These girls don’t get down on themselves.
“Tonight, they just worked their way back to get the victory.’’
Katavich said it comes from good team leadership, but also a very simple approach.
“There is no individual play, we need everyone working as a team because that is how you are going to win,’’ he said.
It was definitely an important part of Friday’s win as seven different players had a hit and five different players scored runs. Madison Jones led the way with three hits, but Cook had two, including her run-scoring double, which was followed by a two-run homer to center by Layla Atwood.
“I just try to do my job,’’ Cook said. “But, it’s a great feeling when you can come through for your team.’’
The win for Westville was its 32nd straight in Vermilion Valley Conference play and left-hander Abby Sabalaskey is now undefeated in 29 straight league games.
“Abby is a really talented senior pitcher and I couldn’t ask for a better game from us,’’ said Bis-Henn/Ross-Al coach Lindsey Andrews. “Last year, we battled them to 1-0 loss and this year, we came out with a different approach. My girls adjusted well and they embraced it.’’
That approach seemed to work as the Blue Devils (8-7 overall, 1-1 in the VVC) had eight hits, including five for extra bases against Sabalaskey. BHRA still struck out 11 times but the five runs — three earned — were season-highs against Sabalaskey.
“We are a young team and I hope this teaches them that they are capable,’’ Andrews said. “I think confidence-wise, this game is going to benefit us and help us grow.’’
The Blue Devils were able to get the tying run on base in the seventh inning, but Sabalaskey got Reaghan Dickison, the losing pitcher for BHRA, to hit into a double play followed by a pop out by Eva Ronto to end the threat.
“We definitely made it interesting and that’s all I can ask for,’’ Andrews said. “Of course, I would have preferred to get a win, but seeing my girls battle to the last out is a really good sign.’’
Westville 7, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 5
Westville 102 004 0 — 7 10 3
BHRA 103 001 0 — 5 8 3
WP — Abby Sabalaskey. LP — Raeghan Dickison. Two or more hits — Westville: Madison Jones 3, Laney Cook 2. BHRA: Draycee Nelson 2, Ella Myers 2. 2B — Westville: Cook. BHRA: Nelson, Myers, Eva Ronto. 3B — BHRA: Ava Acton. HR — Westville: Layla Atwood. BHRA: Myers. RBIs — Westville: Atwood 3, Cook 1, Lilly Kiesel 1, Jazmyn Bennett 1. BHRA: Myers 2, Dickison 1, Gentry Elson 1.
Records — Westville 14-1 overall, 3-0 in the Vermilion Valley Conference. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 8-7 overall, 1-1 in the VVC.