‘POSITIVE’ THINKING

Excelsior Springs’ performance in varsity softball competition over the weekend gave coach Megan Gilbertson reason to cheer.

The girls went 3-2 at the Ozark Fall Festival, a Sept. 12-13 tournament. They got wins over Carthage, Marquette and Locust Grove, Okla. They lost to 9-8 to Ozark Sept. 12 and 7-3 to Nixa Sept. 13.

“It is always a positive coming out of this tournament with a winning record against Class 5 schools that are solid competition,” Gilbertson opined Monday via email.

The losses to Ozark and Nixa provided some important lessons, according to Gilbertson. Losing to Ozark was a reminder that Excelsior Springs can’t be complacent with a lead.

“We need to continue scoring a run or two, especially against teams we know can hit the ball really well,” she stated.

Playing Nixa, on the other hand, provided a reminder of the importance of perseverance, Gilbertson stated.

“We need to work hard to chip away at a lead, because our offense is strong, too,” she wrote.

The gi…