May 5th kicked off the NorCal regional playoff games for Delta’s softball team.
Delta played against Fresno City College. This was their first time playing this season, as a game scheduled for March 11 was postponed.
The May 5th game was close, but Delta came out on top with eight runs to Fresno’s seven.
Delta and Fresno then played their second game May 6. Another close game, but once again Delta beat Fresno 6-5.
The Mustangs worked hard to pull two wins for Delta, and plan to keep it up.
“I’m super excited. If we play how we are known to play, then we’ll definitely come out with a win,” said pitcher Madison Nelson. “I’m just super excited. I really love all of the girls and I’m just happy to be here with this team.”
The 2022-23 season began roughly with a combination of weather, Covid outbreaks, and even a bus breaking down. Despite the challenges the team persevered, and became closer as a group.
“We started off getting a lot of our games delayed. Our bus broke down, we had a lot of technical difficulties in the beginning of the season and then at the end of the season we really came together and we started winning games. I feel like we’re all just one big happy family now,” said Nelson.
“Number one I’m proud of the group. If you look back at our season we started out with a halted game that we scheduled three or four times that we didn’t finish. Our first home game was postponed again, so we couldn’t play. Then we got going for about a week and a half and then we had a C ovid breakout where we had to sit for seven days, so it was tough for us to get on a roll,” said head coach Jim Fisher. “We knew we were a very athletic group, we just couldn’t get things going. And then as soon as the weather cleared up and we started to get on a roll,we started playing better and better.”
The team has worked hard this season, getting themselves to where they are now.
“The team’s bond and compatibility with each other has likely been a large contributor to their success. “We practice every day of the week, and we just work hard through our two hour slot,” said catcher Sydney Featherston. “We just grind everything out in hopes of bringing it out on the field the next game.”
The bonds and compatibility of the team has also contributed to their success and hopes for future games.
“We definitely have learned to trust each other more. You’ll see girls will have little smiles and stuff because I feel like we all bring out each other’s good qualities. I feel like we’re very close knit and we have a really good bond on this team,” said Nelson.
“I would definitely say our team has a stronger bond than last year, its weird to say because last year we were really good together but this year is special. There’s a different chemistry out here and I think that’s what’s going to take us the farthest,” sad Featherston.
The team has grown over the season in their athleticism and it is bound to show during their post season.
“Our goal is, at the end of every week, are we better than we were last week. If the answer is yes then we’re going the right direction and that is definitely happening here,” said Fisher. “At the end of every week we’re better than we were before. So, the team that we were at the beginning of the season is not even close to the team we are now. That’s what I’m most proud of.”