The Sulphur High softball team went on a rough ride early in the season.

A 3-8 start had them looking for answers. But head coach Brooke David always knew what her team was capable of. Since early March they have lived up to that potential and won 13 of their last 16 games.

“Some of those adversities and those bumps along the road were getting in the way of what we were really capable of doing,” David said. “When we kind of started settling in and started working together as a team and putting those pieces together, I think that’s when we really started clicking and playing how we know how to play.”

The Tors haven’t played an easy schedule with 17 games against teams that are currently ranked in the top 10 of their respective divisions in the state’s power ratings. Their hot streak has pushed them up to No. 12 in the Non-select Division I ratings with less than a week remaining in the regular season.

They can score major power points against their last two opponents, undefeated and Select Division III No. 2 Notre Dame (27-0) and Non-select Division III No. 2 Kaplan (24-2). They play at Kaplan today and host Notre Dame on Monday

“We know that these teams are going to hit the ball,” David said. “So if we can play clean defense, we can hit just like we know they’re going to hit, and we can really just work the zone and work their hitters really well, we can beat anybody.”

Since the Tors found their footing, they have made great improvements offensively and in the circle. They went from scoring 4.9 runs a game to 8.2, while the pitching staff went from allowing 6.4 runs a game to 3.6, a swing of 6.1 runs per game. It has led to the Tors’ seven-game win streak.

The Tors have won seven consecutive games as their power hitting has come to the forefront. The Tors have hit 18 home runs in their last seven games, led by Pressy White and Mariah Davis with four each.

They have hit 46 as a team with nine players with at least one, led by White’s 15 home runs. David said White, who plays shortstop, catcher Charlie Kyle and leadoff batter and center fielder Keeley LaBove have been key lately.

“We’re swinging the bat how I’ve always seen us swing the bat,” David said. “It’s just like when you’re playing games and you’re making errors and stuff that hurts you but when we’ve had to make some adjustments to the lineup and go through some mental challenges as a team.

“Once everybody’s swinging the bat how I know they can swing the bat, that’s where we really succeed.”

Seniors Claire Mellard and White lead the Tors’ pitching staff and give the team the ability to handle any situation, David said. The duo has combined for 61 strikeouts in the last seven games and allowed five earned runs.

“Pressy is just a competitor, and she commands the strike zone very well,” David said. “She can really place the ball where we need her to. When we’re looking for somebody who we just want to pound the zone, that’s really who we want to go to.

“Claire has more of the spin and the speed change that can really throw off really big hitters. So when we want to go to a speed change that’s who we really like and we want to go to.”