After starting with a big 5-3 opening day win for the 2025 CHS softball team against rival Northern Burlington, the Lady Pirates are now pushing for a division championship win and the opportunity to win the group finals.
“I could say we did beat Northern Burlington to start the year which is a big division game for us,” Head Coach Lou Arnold said. “So to be able to come out right in game number one and play as we played was definitely something special.”
Having recently passed the midpoint of the season, the team has continued its winning record with its sole losses against Robbinsville and a rematch against Northern Burlington. This past weekend the team lost to Kingsway and Hammonton in the RV Elite Tournament.
“My team goal is to overall win the division championship and for our players to reach certain milestones that they are definitely capable of and I would love to see that happen for them,” Arnold said.
After winning the division two years ago, senior Hannah Derbyshire, a pitcher, said she knows how much the team wants to win again after losing last season.
“Two years ago we won the division so I feel like not winning it last year makes us wanna win it more this year, so we definitely wanna win the division and honestly the goal is to win South Jersey Group 2 because we’ve gotten close the last couple years but this year we definitely wanna try and win that,” Derbyshire said.
According to Arnold, much of last year’s roster has returned for this season which allows for the team to build on its 19-9 record from last spring.
“Actually this year is somewhat similar to last year in that we have a lot of returning players,” Arnold said. “Pretty much our entire roster is the same but at the same time it’s different in the fact that they’ve all now gained an extra year of varsity experience and maturity.”
Another factor contributing to the Pirates’ success is the fact that several of the players have been playing on the same team since they were young children. Senior Maddyn Rittler attributes the close bond they have with each other to be a defining trait of the team.
“The teammates’ bond that we have with each other with playing with one another since we were younger,” Rittler said. “We already have that chemistry and know how each other act so I think the bond that we have is pretty special compared to any other teams.”
Because of this close knit bond, several of the girls this season have achieved career milestones. In the April 27 game against the Holy Cross Lancers, Derbyshire achieved 500 career strikeouts while junior Maura Del Grippo recorded her 100th career strikeout. Derbyshire has her sights set on trying to reach two more records before graduation: 600 career strikeouts and 100 career hits. Rittler earned 100 career hits in their game against Pennsauken.
The Lady Pirates know being there for each other is important.
“I try to be someone my teammates can count on, whether it’s trying to score a runner, keeping spirits up, or helping us stay focused in tough moments,” junior Mia Zuccarelli said.
With a current record of 9-4, the Lady Pirates’ next game is on Saturday, May 3 against St. Joseph’s.
