Lone senior Brooke Richardson has the Chiefs ready for another run at state

MOSES LAKE — It’s not easy to be a leader.

To engage in tough conversations, to hold teammates accountable. Oftentimes, there’s a group of seniors to set an example for younger teammates — a sharing of the burden.

For Moses Lake softball there’s one: Brooke Richardson.

Richardson, the reigning Columbia Basin Big Nine MVP, is the lone senior. Her final regular-season home games are today, beginning at 4 p.m., against Eastmont.

“It’s bittersweet, though,” Richardson said. “I’ve had a pretty good run here at the high school.”

Pretty good might be an understatement.

Richardson moved up to varsity as a freshman and has since been a part of four league and district championship teams. As a junior, she emerged as a potent bat in the middle of Moses Lake’s lineup on her way to MVP honors.

“She has a powerful, violent swing,” head coach Mike Hofheins said. “Regardless of the speed of the pitcher, she swings hard and she attacks the ball. She gets her money’s worth on every swing. She’s a true power hitter... She sparks the team when she hits the ball hard.”

Richardson created quite the spark during Moses Lake’s doubleheader at rival Wenatchee earlier in the season. Battling improved pitching within the CBBN, Richardson broke out for two home runs and eight RBI against the Panthers.

Having been on varsity the entirety of her high school career, Richardson had the opportunity to play alongside several great teammates.

But when it comes to being a leader, Marnie Skinner stood out. Skinner, a 2016 graduate, was a two-time CBBN MVP who now plays for Iona College.

“My freshman and sophomore year she just set great examples to everyone and I looked up to her up until she graduated and I just took over her reigns,” Richardson said.

Richardson has been a captain the last two seasons, bridging the gap from former head coach Dave Gregory to second-year coach Hofheins.

“It’s definitely a unique situation for a school our size to have one senior softball player that’s still playing at this juncture, but she’s kind of taken that responsibility almost like a badge of honor,” Hofheins said. “She likes to be up to bat in tough spots, she doesn’t flinch, she’s a clutch player, she leads by example, she’s intense during competition.

“She has all those things that the younger girls can look up to.”

Richardson began playing organized softball at six years old and has elected to forgo college athletics to focus on studying pre-med after graduation.

The game will always be with her and, after all, there’s still one more run at the state tournament in two weeks.

“I love the game and I have forever,” Richardson said.