The experience was nothing short of awesome, and the memories will last forever.

Time moves on, though.

That, the Midlothian Trojans know.

Rather than dwell, then, on the spring of 2025 when they finished 24-0 and won the VHSL Class 5 state softball championship, they’re pursuing their 2026 dreams with spirit, alacrity, and an abiding refusal to rest on their laurels.

“Last year was last year,” said first-year head coach Mark Whitt. “We have several girls who played last year who are veteran leaders. We have some role players who are now in the starting lineup, but this is a different team. 

“There’s a different vibe. We’re building chemistry. We’ve put together a tough schedule to have us battle-tested for when the playoffs come around.  That’s what it’s about.

“Last year was a special season. This (year’s team) can be a very special team.”

Tuesday, the Trojans emerged from their spring break hiatus by defeating Clover Hill 11-1 on the road to improve to 5-2.

On a clear, cool, windy evening, they pounded out nine hits, ran the bases confidently and aggressively, and held the home team at bay on the strength and precision of junior righthander Molly Bozzo, who scattered five hits, struck out 15, and allowed just five Cavaliers to reach base. 

“My rise ball was really working,” said Bozzo, who threw 91 pitches, 68 for strikes. “I felt good about being able to get the hitters to swing, especially early in the count.”

Before Bozzo stepped into the circle in the first inning, the Trojans provided her with a 2-0 lead when Erika Fiege and Charlotte Corcoran reached base, then scored on errors.

The cushion increased to 4-0 in the second when, with two outs, both Erin Lowe, who walked, and Fiege, who singled, scored on another error.

Bozzo remained focused on the task at hand, the lead notwithstanding.

“I keep the mindset that pitching is a job, and I need to get the job done so we can go back to hitting,” she said. “It’s staying efficient. It’s taking care of each batter.

“It’s executing each pitch before worrying about the next one. It’s making sure I hit each spot on every pitch. It’s making a good pitch and letting my defense back me up.”

The Trojans scored twice more in the fourth. Josie Renschler led off with a single, stole second, and raced home on a throwing error. 

Bozzo then tripled to the 220-foot right field wall and raced home on Fiege’s single to right.

“We were getting ahead of the ball and popping it up,” said Fiege, a junior centerfielder. “We made adjustments with our swings and did a really good job of hitting line drives, finding gaps, and producing runs.”

Clover Hill (2-2-1) scored its lone run in the bottom of the fourth.

Bri Miller led off with a double to right center. Mina Etebari stepped in as a courtesy runner and scored when Paige Marshall smacked a double to left. Paige Martin’s single to right sent Marshall to third with one out, but Bozzo quelled the threat with two quick strikeouts.

Midlo scored twice more in the fifth. Bella Moussa led off with a single, stole second, moved to third when freshman Vivian Austeri singled to left, and scored when Austeri stole second and beat the throw to the bag. Later in the inning, Lea Foldenauer, who reached base on a fielder’s choice, raced home on Renschler’s single.

“Today, we got a few balls down,” said Whitt. “We played some small ball to move runners. We made contact. It was just putting the ball in play. That’s a big part of this game.”

In the visitors’ sixth, Austeri’s bases-loaded triple to right scored Lowe, Corcoran, and Moussa with the Trojans’ final runs.

Then, three K’s by Bozzo in the bottom of the inning brought the game to conclusion.

“One game at a time was how we took it last year,” Fiege said. “That’s how we need to take it this year.

“Last year is definitely out of my head and out of most of our team’s heads. This is a new team, a new season, and we’re ready to roll.”