The varsity softball team will play Lake Travis May 1 in a best two out of three series in the first round of playoffs. With five games left in the season, the Raiders were in contention for the district title. But with a second loss to Cedar Ridge and unexpected losses to Stony Point and Hendrickson last week, the team dropped to third place.

“It was kind of rough because more than half the season we were in first place,” sophomore Tevanae Tate said. “I think we could’ve won those games, but the team mentality wasn’t there. I don’t think everyone had the same mindset going into the games.”

Despite the losses, the team’s earlier games kept them in the playoff hunt for the second year in a row. Last year, they went three rounds deep in the playoffs and are looking for a strong showing against the Cavaliers.

“I think if our defense doesn’t fall apart in the end and our bats come out strong in the beginning we’ll be good,” sophomore Savannah Wells said. “These past few games that we’ve lost we’ve just been all slow and not really there.”

The team will play a doubleheader at Lake Travis Friday, May 1. The first game will start at 5:30 p.m., the second will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. The girls will play their third game at home May 2 at 3 p.m., if needed.

“I think if we get it together and we can play as a team, and we get our mindset to win and not ‘Oh I’m just here to play’,” Wells said. “To have heart and play with heart I think we’ll win.”