Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Aryanna Osborne

A challenging softball season for St. Bernard’s closed out on Friday, but a sizable contingent of young players will benefit from the experience they gained this year.

The Crusaders won just two games all season and finished up 2-18, including an 11-1 loss to Arcata on Friday.

They were 0-12 in the Little 4, but they showed plenty of promise and were competitive in many of their conference games, including a pair of one-run losses to the top two teams in the conference — South Fork and Hoopa — in which they scored 15 runs.

They also tallied 21 runs in a loss to Ferndale, so finding ways to score was not a problem for a squad that averaged almost eight runs a game in conference play.

A roster of 11 players included seven freshmen and sophomores combined and just two seniors — Makinsey Lemley and Anna Dorsch.

And while the seniors will be missed next spring, this is a Crusaders team that should be far better prepared to challenge for a Little 4 championship in 2027.

The freshmen class, in particular, showcased a lot of potential, with numerous players making an immediate impact at the varsity level, including Macy Amen-Sherman, Aryanna Osborne, Natalie Gierick, Chezney Sundquist, and Macy Wantt.

The team’s sophomores — Teghan Smith and Claira Hoffman — also enjoyed some big moments this spring, as did juniors Logan Tallman and Brittany Ikea, all of which will benefit the squad going into 2027.

Two of the team’s freshman made some noise in Friday’s loss.

Osborne, who was one of the more impressive newcomers in this year’s Little 4, finished 2-for-3 at the plate and also pitched, allowing seven hits to the Big 5 school and striking out two.

Ikeya hit a home run for the team’s only run of the game, while Amen-Sherman finished 1-for-2, and Hoffman and Tallman each was 1-for-3.

Senior Makinsey Lmnley

Senior Anna Dorsch

Freshman Macie Wantt