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Pride softball defeats Turlock in season finale
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Pitmans Elizabeth Segars slides into home during the Prides victory over Turlock on Wednesday. - photo by FRANKIE TOVAR / The Journal

Championships are prized and elusive.  Athletes dream of them, work towards them, and rejoice if they manage to earn one. And they are never forgotten.

Years from now, the ladies of the 2012 Pitman High softball team will look back and remember this season. They’ll remember their hard work and dedication, the fun they had with each other and their place as the first CCC champions in Pride softball history.

“We’re feeling real good,” Pitman’s head coach Cassie Sheppherd said. “Last year we made history by making the playoffs and this year we made history again by becoming the champs.”

The Pride officially became champions on Wednesday with a 13-2 rout of rival Turlock High. An explosive offensive attack and a consistent defensive presence served as Pitman’s primary weapons against a Bulldog team that struggled all season. The Pride scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, seven in the second, and one more in the third as Turlock’s control from the hill waned.

Emilly Silva and Sarah Ward finished with 3 RBIs a piece and were joined by Janessa Guevara (2 RBIs), Aimee Gomez (1 RBI), and Alexis Mettler (1 RBI). By the end of the game nearly every Pitman player had crossed home plate at least once.

Turlock finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of RBIs from Yareli Ramirez and Stella Ornelas. It was all over an inning later, however, as Pitman’s Guevara earned her 10th strike out of the game and triggered a team celebration, Gatorade bucket and all.

 “You can’t go into a game expecting to win, so coming into this game I was worried about us being a little lackadaisical,” Sheppherd said. “But it all worked out.”

Pitman’s 2012 campaign will continue on the May 19 in the first round of the SJS Division I playoff tournament. Last year the Pride was eliminated by Napa High in the first round, 2-1.

 “We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Sheppherd said. “We’re going to keep our mental toughness and just play hard.”