(May 8, 2015) Stephen Decatur softball Coach Heather Patnode has seen the Lady Seahawks get better day-by-day since the season began in early March, which bodes well as the team now competes in the 3A South Regional tournament.
“We have made vast improvements over the season and have really learned the game, how to play with each other, and when and where to make the correct plays,” Patnode said. “We are still young and still learning the game, but we are better than preseason and the first half [of the season].”
Decatur finished the regular season 6-11 and received the fifth seed in the 3A South Region bracket. The Seahawks were scheduled to play the No. 4 Northeast Eagles of Anne Arundel County in Pasadena on Thursday.
“Playoffs are going to be tough as they always are. We play 3A schools in another area and to be honest, the game is different there. We unfortunately only have a few players that play softball for teams other than high school where in our surrounding areas teams play together all year round,” Patnode said. “They have the advantage of knowing and playing with each other more. We have, however, learned and grown enough in this season to help prepare us to be successful and competitive during playoffs.”
To have a successful post-season, Patnode said the Seahawks need to “play seven great innings.”
“We tend to have one ‘bad’ inning that can potentially take us out of the game. We also will need to make sure we hit and score early in the game and continue throughout. We have been practicing with game-like situations, live pitching and perfecting plays we use.”
The winner will face the top-seeded Northern Patriots of Calvert County on Monday in Owings.
