JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — “On a good team, there is a point where teammates become friends, and then friends become family,” said Sullivan West’s varsity softball coach Anthony Durkin

He was citing a quote that fits the group of three seniors honored at a postgame ceremony. The team had just defeated the Chapel Field Christian Schools squad 5-2 on May 13.

The proud honorees included sisters Nicole and Elizabeth Reeves, and teammate Karlee Diehl. The three  were joined on the field of play by their respective parents.

Describing the trio of upperclassmen as “amazing seniors,” Coach Durkin noted that the just-wrapped win was the Lady Bulldogs’ final home game of the season of softball swats. “I believe that these three seniors have been an instrumental part of the turnaround of our softball program… the type of role models that these three have been to the younger players on this team.”

And what a mix it was this year: three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen—including pitcher Mary Chellis. She was thrown into the breach on the mound after starter Elizabeth Reeves was injured.

Looking in the rearview mirror, Coach Durkin summed up the past four seasons when the seniors took to the softball field. The seniors’ first year, 2021, was a condensed year due to COVID, with one returning player with varsity experience and no wins in the record book. In their sophomore year, “we won six games.” In their junior year, the seniors were part of the team that won their first sectional game in roughly six years. And this year, “we have a great season going and are headed for an exceptional record.”

As he introduced the seniors, Coach Durkin said, “They have given everything they have to our program, and will never be forgotten for the contributions they have made to the softball program at Sullivan West.”