Heather DiLalla
The women’s softball team spent its spring break in Orange County, Calif., competing against some of the top-ranked teams in the country. The trip was from March 3 to March 10, and the players were scheduled to play eight games.
Under the leadership of first year head coach Karen Pelky and assistant coach Tracy Karr, the team finished (4-4). In addition to the new coaching staff, the program added eight new players to the team.
Sophomore Shannon Murphy said, “Our goal in California was to bring the new and the old together as a team. There were a lot of freshmen on the team who didn’t quite know what to expect entering the games.”
With the intention of continuing their success, the team worked extremely hard in preparation for the season. The players were seen working out in the weight room at 6 a.m. three days a week in the fall and practicing hard in the gym from January until now.
Sophomore second baseman Brooke Peterdozzi said, “With all of the hard work and dedication in the off season, we are already beginning to see positive results.”
The hard work was displayed off the field as well. Each player was required to raise at least $600 in order to attend the trip. Many of the players sacrificed their Friday nights and Saturday mornings working softball clinics to help their cause.
Junior short stop Heather Tu explained, “We worked too hard for this trip to be just a fun time and a good tan. Everything that we have done in the off season and in spring training allows us to become better as a team because it shows us what we need to improve upon for the season.”
The Lady Cavs went 42-5 last year and are hoping to continue the winning tradition with the young, new team.
