Cindy Goddard expected her team to have a few growing pains this season.

Though her Oxford Hills softball team had a handful of veteran starters, many returnees were playing new positions. It was probably going to take some time for the Vikings to put it all together.

And it showed when the team went to Florida during April vacation. Oxford Hills played eight games at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando and struggled to gel.

“We went to Florida and it wasn’t pretty,” Goddard said.

Since their return, however, the Vikings have played pretty well. Oxford Hills has started the year 7-1 and is ranked fourth in Eastern A. The lone loss was a nail-biter to undefeated Cony.

“Only losing to Cony by one really gave us a lot of confidence that we can come out and play anyone,” first baseman Anna Winslow said.

A big part of the Vikings’ success has been its offense. Oxford Hills has outscored its opponents 79-20. The Vikings have recorded double-digit runs in five of their seven wins.

“The bats have been a big help,” said Goddard. “We’re getting hitting from a lot of different people.”

The Vikings only had pitcher Crystal West and catcher Annika Kahkonen returning along with infielders Winslow, Abby Bernier, Jordyn Sanborn and outfielder Angel Witham. That gave Oxford Hills a solid nucleus to build from, even though many were stepping into larger roles.

“We all believe in each other,” said outfielder Shannon Fillebrown. “If I feel like I can’t do something, I know this person has got my back. It’s about having a good team and working together.”

Oxford Hills still has some challenges ahead. The Vikings have a return match with Cony next Wednesday, and play another unbeaten team in Brewer. They also have repeat games with Brunswick, Erskine and Edward Little.

“We’ve been playing well,” said Goddard. “Now we repeat people. So now we have to go into games and be prepared to take care of business and set goals for ourselves. We’ve got to keep ourselves moving forward.”

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