The Lady Slaters ended their regular season with a winning record of 17-5 and have high hopes to catch the victory in the District VI Championship game on Tuesday, May 29. 

Led by coach Rich, and assisted by coach Chris, Dennis, Bob, Wayne, and Pops, the girls created a well-balanced team both offensively and defensively.  

“This season was the best because I’ve been playing with the same group of girls and we all support each other and grow together. Our bats are really coming together, and I think we grow with every practice. We are happy but never satisfied,” senior second baseman Julie Rocco said. “We are ranked #1. We didn’t win the Colonial League Championship unfortunately, but we are looking forward to districts and states.” 

Repetition in and out of season is what has gotten the girls to master the skills that are needed to defeat and win. Whether fine-tuning field work, batting, or just having fun, practice makes perfect. 

“I think the biggest takeaway for me was a quote that our coach says quite often. He tells us ‘Never let the pressure exceed the pleasure,'” junior left fielder Jenna Learn said. “Of course, there will always be pressure to do well coming from people around us and ourselves, but the pleasure is most important to our success. Our coaches pretty much tell us to go out, play, have fun, and forget the pressure.” 

Although all the physical skills may be mastered, a positive attitude and mind-set are needed throughout each game. 

“You can’t get into your head. Softball is a whole mind game,” senior third baseman Olivia Groller said. “If you make a mistake and dwell on it, it’ll be detrimental because I mean it’s a team sport. But when you’re batting and you strike out or miss a pop up, there isn’t much your team can do, so you must stay confident in yourself and not get in your head.”  

With all five seniors as captains, the Lady Slaters were able to have a positive atmosphere throughout as they picked each other up one game at a time. 

“It was a great experience leading the team with all of my friends. We definitely played an important role of being role models and demonstrating to the girls what it’s like to play varsity softball,” senior shortstop Jackie Hess said. “Some advice I would give to players is to take in every second, don’t ever take anything for granted, and for every game you play, play your heart out and do everything at full force. If you do that, you will be set and have a great time.” 

Of all the games, the team’s hard work was best executed on the field against Northern Lehigh where they brought home a 5-3 victory.  

“We all came together because it was a really important game and we played our hardest to get the win. It was a total team effort as everyone contributed something important to that game,” Hess said. 

Looking through their season, the girls found that the game against Northern Lehigh would also be one to remember.  

“Our spirit was intense, and everyone was cheering, and it was a great game. I will remember playing with the team and working hard for my last year and most importantly having fun together and encouraging each other,” Rocco said.  

Between games, practices, and even offseason workouts, the girls focused on helping to improve one another and pick each other up in times of need. This not only created that special bond, but it also allowed them to have faith in one another on the field to better their performance. 

“We all pick each other up when we are down. We also come together and play rather than individually,” senior pitcher Serena DeAngelis said. “Every day we come together and give 100% for each other, our coaches, and ourselves.”  

As the seniors being to say their final goodbye, they’ll never forget playing the sport they love with the people they love and the bittersweet remembrance of their fans that comes with the support.  

“I’ll always miss playing in my hometown. Wearing that jersey not only means the world to me, but also to the girls. We have all grown together throughout the years,” Rocco said.  

Looking forwards for next season, the Slaters will work to prepare. 

“During the upcoming winter open gyms, we will work on our weaknesses as a team from this past season and capitalize on them,” junior catcher Haylee Klingle said. “Over the summer, the girls will work on their imperfections individually which will also improve our team as a whole.” 

Overall, the girls wouldn’t be where they are today without the help and support from their coaches. 

“They never gave up on us. If we made a mistake on the field, they told us ‘you can’t worry about it anymore, it’s in the past, you can’t fix it, you can only move on from there and improve.'” Groller said. “They helped us the most by telling us that we have to be motivated. We must give 100% every day whether it’s at a practice or a game. They said, ‘everyday was an opportunity to get better’ and we all pushed ourselves to play the best softball we could.”  

Continuing through their victorious journey, the Slaters will play in the District VI Championship and hope to find success in many more games to come.