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The Dongguan High School girls' softball team accepts their medals in Quzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

At the 2023 Zhejiang Provincial Youth Softball Championship held at the Quzhou Sports Center, 32 teams comprising 654 young athletes from across the province competed, setting a new record for participation.

Emerging as the dark horse and clinching the U18 Fast Pitch crown was the Dongguan High School girls' softball team from Shaoxing's Shangyu district, a squad formed less than a year ago.

Principal Fan Weixin revealed that the upcoming 19th Hangzhou Asian Games will feature softball as a prominent event and that it is slated to be hosted in Shaoxing. In line with this, Shaoxing hopes to become the "City of Chinese Baseball and Softball."

The Dongguan High School girls' softball team trains in Shaoxing. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The girls' softball team was founded in August 2022. The team members had diverse sporting backgrounds, with girls specializing in athletics, fencing, cheerleading, kayaking, and more. Team member Ma Meng, for example, served as both the captain of the girls' basketball team and a key player in the school's track and field team.

The players gradually developed a deep passion for the sport, dedicating themselves to rigorous training sessions that consistently exceeded scheduled durations.

Captain Pan Chen explained that Dongguan High School's softball team had previously faced off against Qianqing Middle School from Keqiao district in three matches, losing all three games.

Nonetheless, they displayed remarkable resilience, narrowing the gap from nearly 30 points to single digits.

In the final showdown, these determined young athletes rose to the occasion, proving that they were not only resilient but also capable of seizing victory when it mattered most.