LAKEWOOD — Lakewood senior captains Hailey Malakowski and Terah Barrio showed no jitters in the Cougars season-opening softball game.

Malakowski pitched a one-hit game in her debut and also hit a home run.

“It was a little nerve racking,” Malakowski said. “But I calmed my nerves down.”

Barrio, a third baseman, hit a homer in the first inning and ended it with a grand slam.

“I just didn’t think about it,” Barrio said. “I calmed myself down and took deep breaths.”

Lakewood blanked Shorecrest 10-0 in five innings March 16 in a non-league game.

The Cougars played a solid game overall with no errors.

“For the first game that was really good,” Barrio said. “And everyone was really focused, which is more awesome.”

“I felt we were prepared,” Lakewood coach Travis Boortz said. “We had two weeks of practice and got the jitters out.”

Both captains said they are looking forward to leading their team.

“I’m looking forward to coming out as a family and making it to districts and state,” Malakowski said.

Barrio and Malakowski see their leadership as a foundation of the team’s success. Their roles as captains are to bring cohesion, positivity and energy to the unit, Malakowski said.

The two are best friends as well, which helps their leadership.

“We can read each other really well,” Barrio said.

“We expect big things out of them,” Boortz said. “It’s good when they come with their game.”

Boortz has high expectations for the veteran team.

“We got a tough league, but we have some good players,” Boortz said. “We want to take it one game at a time but be league champs.”