The softball team has always been one of the more successful teams on South Hill. Since the days of past Head Coaches Doris Kostrinsky in the ’70s and ’80s, Jane Jacobs in 1987 and 1988 and present Head Coach Deb Pallozzi since her start in 1989, the team has had a wining record in all but three seasons. The Bombers’ record last season was 35–9 overall and 12–0 in the Empire 8. This year should be no different.

According to the Empire 8 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll, the six-time defending Empire 8 champion Bombers are picked to win their seventh straight conference championship. The team is also ranked ninth in the country in the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association.

Though it is always nice to be picked to win, predictions like these aren’t going to the Blue and Gold’s heads.  

Senior co-captain and pitcher Nicole Cade said the team’s goal as the season progresses is to win every game.

“The outlook on the season is we’re really excited,” Cade said. “We’ve been working hard, and we’re just ready to get tested.”

That is no understatement. The South Hill squad has without a doubt been working hard. The team started working out in the fall and was on the field outdoors until the end of September. After winter break, they started to practice in the Hill Center gymnasiums.

They practice five days a week and have been working on their hitting, pitching and fielding, as well as offensive strategies and defensive strategies.

“[The] kids have worked hard,” Pallozzi said. “[The] upperclassmen have worked hard to teach and embrace [the] young kids.”

Though Pallozzi said the team is looking good right now, she said she is unable to tell where this team really stands since they have not been able to practice outdoors in months.

The first test for the Bombers will be during spring break, when they will play nine games while in California.

“It will be a whole different look outside,” Pallozzi said.

Right now, senior co-captain and shortstop Erica Cutspec feels the team is just focusing on getting better everyday.

“[We want to] take one day at a time … this year,” she said.

As far as the makeup of this year’s team goes, it is one that is quite different from years past. The Bombers have six seniors, which is larger than usual. Along with Cade and Cutspec, there is second baseman Jessica Stangarone, outfielder Amanda Kowalsick, pitcher Carly Myers and third baseman Stacy Pelesz.

“In my four years here we’ve never had a senior class so large,” Cade said.

For the seniors, last year was the first year in their careers they did not make it to the College World Series.

They came up short, losing to both SUNY-Plattsburgh and SUNY-Cortland in the double elimination Northeast Regional tournament.

Along with the large group of seniors, there are seven freshmen and seven sophomores, and the two lone juniors were not on the team two years ago when the Blue and Gold were last at the World Series.

“We want the opportunity to show the younger class what it’s like to be there and what it takes to get there so we can leave behind that experience for future years,” Cade said.

Other strengths for the Blue and Gold are pitching, defense and team speed.

The Blue and Gold have a deep pitching staff. To go along with Cade and Myers, there is junior Gaby Flores, sophomores Alyssa Brook and Brooke Kithcart and freshman Allison Greaney.

Their speed will attribute to their ability to do more offensively, such as stealing bases, executing squeeze plays and putting runners in scoring position.

Once the California trip rolls around, there will be a good idea of where this year’s team stands.

“We’re really looking forward to starting off to play and going to California to see what we have to work on,” Cutspec said.