Despite the the horrible weather conditions that have split their season in half, the Southmoreland girls softball team still found a way to have a successful season and advance on to playoffs for the fourth straight year.

The team enters the playoffs with a 7-3 record.

“This spring has been a battle with the weather, so we had to cut our season in half,” said senor Lexi Belzer. “This gives us more time together to compete.”

Also, this year the team was very small with a roster of only 14 girls. They still have been very successful with the contribution and leadership of the team’s four seniors: Alexei Belzer, Bethany Bunner, Michaela Burke and Alayna Perbonish. Furthermore, having a smaller team has had its benefits. It gave the girls a better opportunity to bond and work on team chemistry.

“Since we have a small team this year, I think it has been very easy for us to learn how to play together well. We also work on things as soon as we notice something isn’t right,” senior Michaela Burke said. “We talk about it, we go on about deciding how to fix it, and then we work really hard on fixing it as much as we can to prepare for the next game.”

“All together I think we have a strong group of talent with all of us 14 girls, and we also have coaches that know that they are doing,” said Belzer. “Having the chemistry that the team does helps because we all get along and have fun every time we are together. But we also know that it’s time to focus when we step out on the field.”

Bunner attributes much of the teams success from the team’s “strong bats” and “high batting averages.”

This year the softball team has set their hopes high, their goal is to make it to the state tournament this year.

“I hope that we make it really far this year,” said Perbonish. “It would be amazing to bring home a trophy for the school our senior year.”

The girls softball team has a bye inthe first round and plays the winner of the Deer Lakes and Steel Valley game for their first official 2018 playoff game on May 17, weather permitting.