De Anza’s softball team put up a courageous effort against Sierra College during  its first playoff appearance in ten years. The best-of-three match took place on the weekend of May 5, with De Anza losing in a 12-0 shutout on Saturday and returning with a 15-9 loss on Sunday.

By playoff regulations, the match-up was to take place at the site of the higher seed. The Sierra Wolverines, ranked third, was awarded the home-field advantage over the 14th seed Dons. De Anza head coach Rachel Pacheco joked that the drive would take longer than the games themselves.

Going in as the underdogs, De Anza took to the field against an opponent with an intimidating record. The Wolverines have a great pitching staff with a team ERA of 1.93, the second lowest in their conference. Sierra’s excellent offense tops  its conference in hits, home runs, and RBIs.

Pacheco said the Dons were overwhelmed by the experience in the first game of the series. Knowing they had just come off of a playoff drought put a lot of pressure on the Dons. Usually known for  hitting, the team was unable to put any runs on the board. Pacheco’s advice to her team after the hard loss was to be true to themselves; their style of play had brought them this far and they shouldn’t let the circumstances dictate how they perform.

The second game would determine whether the series would continue for a third game or if it would be the end of the Dons’ season. Pacheco asked her team, “How do you guys want leave here? Do what you gotta do. Leave here how you want to leave here.” She wanted each of her players to make it a personal goal to get a hit and help force Sierra to go all seven innings.

This year, goal-setting has been a driving factor behind the Dons’ performance. By setting smaller objectives, they have been able to leverage their momentum and keep their eye on the prize. For example, freshman Hannah Mutz, who had been struggling with hitting during the season, made it her focus to achieve better results in that area and turned it around at the end of the season by raising her batting average of .289. 

This kind of dedication is what has separated the 2011-12 team from previous years, said Pacheco. “Each of them have the drive and if they see that there may be something we’re lacking, they try to step up and make up for it.”

This year’s Dons have been helping each other out with the game as well as with classes. “After softball,” Pacheco explains, “you really have your academics to go on.” The sophomores have been there for the freshmen, whether it’s staying after to hit grounders or helping answer questions about schoolwork.

De Anza students interested in joining the softball program next year can visit www.deanza.edu/athletics/softball. There, they can find more information about becoming student-athletes and contact Head Coach Pacheco directly about the program.