Northwood softball qualified for the CIF Southern Section Championships for the third year in a row with a record of 12-4.

Despite falling short of their expectations for CIF with a loss in a close match against Jurupa Hills in the first round, this year was the first time in recent history that the softball team moved up and competed in a higher division. After making it to CIF semifinals last season, the team was moved from Division 5 to Division 4.

“The senior leadership that we have and just the overall softball experience this year is special,” softball head coach Maddy Grimm said. “We have small numbers but it’s a close knit group, and I think that’s what makes this valuable and lets us succeed.”

According to Grimm, the current seniors, Lauren Silva, Ava Giglio, Riley Bajorek and Mia Fogle, were crucial to the team, filling in vital positions on the varsity lineup. Bajorek, the pitcher, not only strengthened the team by bringing over a decade of softball experience to the field, but also helped with team building through her role as captain.

One of the team’s primary strengths was their team chemistry both on and off the field. The supportive environment helped foster trust and understanding between the players.

“My biggest supporters are my team especially because they help me through all my bad days and all my bad hits,” junior Samantha Mella said. “We bonded so well with the new freshmen that came onto our team and the chemistry was definitely better this year than any of our other years.”

With the graduation of the seniors from the softball team this year, that means a bigger challenge for the team in the next season.

“We’re having a big roster shift from last year because we’re graduating a lot of our starters—one being our only pitcher,” Grimm said. “We’ll have to hit the drawing board about what our goals look like for next year.”

Despite the challenges of the roster shift, the team has a strong group of JV players that are capable of being moved up. Current varsity members such as sophomores Marissa Lee and Natalie Keith along with junior Baylie Wong are there to ensure that the team can rebuild and maintain their success.