It didn’t take long, but the Warrenton softball team got the season off on the right foot.

After a 1-28 finish a year ago, the Warriors matched that output on the first day of the 2026 season as Warrenton opened the campaign by beating Jefferson City 1-0 to open the Union Tournament.

Freshman shortstop Brooklyn Young, who tallied the game’s only run in the victory, said that the total-team effort earned the win.

From getting on base, stealing a pair and then scoring on an error to starting pitcher Hannah Gibson’s victory in the circle to the team’s stellar defense, things came together.

“I feel like our team’s all hitting the ball and we’re all communicating so well,” Young said. “I feel like this team has each other’s backs after every play.”

Warriors head coach Chad Berrey pointed out that not only was the win special, but how the team went about it made it even more so.

He said that, at first glance, entering an event with a litany of state tournament participants could have been difficult.

That wasn’t the case, however, as Warrenton earned its first win, something the team didn’t do last season until beating Wright City in a 15-inning game on September 12 of last year.

“Coming off the season we had last year, there were a lot of people skeptical about what we could put on the field this year,” Berrey said. “Especially what we did the first game. Like I told the girls, winning 1-0 is a lot harder than winning 10-0 because there’s a lot of pressure and it takes a lot of grit for the whole seven innings. Kudos to the girls for battling through it and keeping their heads on straight.”

Berrey added that senior Paige Campbell and Young had the team in position to succeed all weekend.

He added that Brylen Shoults provided her share of power and that Gibson, who pitched in all four games over the weekend, came up huge.

“Paige and Brooklyn are our one-two punch, and they’re electric,” Berrey said. “We need a spark plug and every single inning that they led off, the spark was there. It’s gorgeous to watch. Shoults has pure strength and she really put a charge into the ball. Hannah Gibson gave us a chance to win every single game.”

Young, coupled with the play of fellow freshmen Savana Oakley and Carsyn DeGraaf, gave Berrey plenty to smile about over the course of the weekend.

“We are young,” Berrey said. “We have three starting freshmen out on the field and every single freshman played every single inning. They’re coming in with a great background. It’s very exciting.”

Another thing of beauty for Warrenton actually came in a defeat the team suffered on Friday.

Even though the Warriors came up short in a 5-4, eight-inning decision, the team they had the chance to beat spoke volumes for their effort.

After all, the Knights took third place in Class 4 last season.

Even in defeat, the game showed the team’s collective mettle, Young said.

“I feel like we can play with anyone if we compete,” Young said. “If we do that and we keep talking on the field, we’ll be fine. There is (work to do). I feel like I, personally, did okay, but I know I could have done better. I am going to work harder to help my teammates more in the field and when I hit.”

Berrey said he’s excited to see just what that fire can bring.

After all, after having played games with St. Charles United and, in a return engagement, Borgia, Warrenton (1-3) will head to Wright City for a cross-county rivalry game at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

“The fire is in these girls,” Berrey said. “These are (the types of games you live for). They’re excited and they’re going to be ready to give it their all.”