Palomar College’s women’s softball finishes the season with a tenth consecutive conference championship and a win against the Vikings of Long Beach City College, moving them in the playoffs.
Coach Lacey Craft recounts the team’s successes, challenges and plans for the future.
They had played their tenth consecutive Pacific Conference Championship. “At this point, because it’s all playoffs, if you lose, you’re out the season’s over,” Craft said.
The Comets finished 39-4 after last weekend and will be one of the teams representing the South Region in the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship Tournament starting on May 16 at West Valley College in Saratoga, near Silicon Valley.
The Comets had only recently begun playing in the newly completed softball field. As part of the proposition M project series C/D of facilities improvements, the team had to make do with an off-campus field in the interim. “We were practicing and playing our games at Bradley Park, which is a recreational field,” Craft said.
Craft spoke of the negative impacts of students having to travel off campus for practice, the extraordinary amount of the recent rains, and the lingering effects of quarantine.
“It’s great to be back home and I think these guys definitely overachieved this season based on the situation and circumstances that we’re dealing with. But you know, this is a great opportunity to be back on campus,” Craft said.
Craft focused on the player’s futures. One goal is for the team to be the best in San Diego County, and then compete for a state championship. All in the service of going to “…colleges, and get recruited and be placed… to give them those opportunities,” Craft said.
Breanna Lutz has played sports since she was eight years old. She played baseball then switched to softball at her father’s insistence. At 15 she suffered a torn ACL playing soccer, and she then focused on softball.
Throughout the season, Lutz had a batting average of .500 with seven home runs.
“I told myself I’m going to work twice as hard as I’ve ever before, so I’ll be able to continue playing,” Lutz said.
COVID-19 hit during that period enabling Lutz to focus on rehabilitation, providing the time to recuperate.
Lutz plans to transfer and become a police officer. She said she is, “hoping to help out society and give back to society.”
Outfielder Faith Steffany, with a batting average of .351, has played softball since she was four, having also been introduced to the sport by her father. She observed that there were mental and physical challenges to excelling in the sport.
“But when you overcome it, it’s the best feeling after, and you just perform your best,” Steffany said.
Steffany will transfer to Cal State San Marcos, and plans to continue playing softball. Her major is Kinesiology.
Steffany’s advice is to not overwork but have fun. She said, “really enjoy the moment and the time that you have here. Because it’s so limited and short.”
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