Emily Rockhill glances at her Redmond High fastpitch teammate Elaine Wang, shakes her head and points at the Mustang with the big bat.

“Down by three, bottom of the seventh — you come up with a three-run home run? I mean, there’s not much better than you can do than that,” Rockhill says, generating a huge smile from Wang following Tuesday’s practice.

The night before, Wang’s hitting heroics tied the game against Bothell at 7-7. Redmond eventually triumphed, 9-8, in nine innings on a Rachel Robinson RBI base hit.

“With the rest of the team getting the ball rolling for me with runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh, with everyone cheering along the fences, it wasn’t hard for me to zone out and just go for it,” said Wang, a junior second baseman. “Everyone made some really nice plays. We all stuck together in one big effort and we really pushed through all nine innings and that was really great to see.”

Redmond (6-2 overall and 2-1 in 4A Kingco at press time) might not play many nine-inning games this season, but captains Rockhill, Wang and Natalie Roberts are confident that they and their teammates possess the motivation and drive that shone through in the Bothell game to keep the wins flowing.

Rockhill, a junior and the team’s main pitcher, is glad to be back on the mound after sitting out her sophomore season with a spinal fracture. The right hander said she became injured by overworking her body the previous season, but she’s overcome her setback with physical therapy and the urge to return to the Mustang fold.

“Technically, I was the manager last year and came to every game. It was hard just to watch. Sometimes, coach let me call the pitches — that was fun,” Rockhill said. “(This year) It’s been really fun to have all these girls here because we have a really talented team. It’s nice to know that I have a good defense and a good offense to back me up as a pitcher.”

In recent games, Kaija Gibson had three homers, Roberts had a handful of hits and RBIs, Tatyana Forbes racked up hits and scored runs and Rockhill chipped in with several hits, as well.

Roberts, a first baseman/pitcher and the team’s lone senior, has been playing softball for 13 years and wants to make the most of her final season by contributing with her bat, glove and voice.

“I’m the most vocal: I just try to keep everyone in line and make sure everyone is having a good time,” said the three-year starter. “I’m not super strict, I just want to make sure everyone is doing the best that they can do all the time.”

Roberts says she’s impressed with the team’s talent and camaraderie and feels that if the Mustangs can stay the course they’ve set so far, they just may qualify for the state tournament.

She says there’s some pressure — good pressure, that is — that the players and coaches are placing on the team to do well. They’re having fun and are up for the challenge, she adds.

Fourth-year head coach Parris Mamon is joined this year by former Redmond High and Columbia University pitcher Jessica Rakonza and former Skyline High coach Alison Mitchell.

Mamon said the team is speedy and well balanced from top to bottom.

“They’re really athletic girls. When they play their ‘A’ game, they’re pretty darn good,” Mamon said. “We have a lot of solid girls that know how to play the game at a higher level.”