By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– Last Spring, the Chemeketa Community College Softball team won their first NWAC Softball Playoff game since 2022 as they reached to Day 2 of the double-elimination bracket en route to a 19-32 season last Spring and 9-21 in an always tough NWAC South Region. Setting the standard for the program entering this Spring.
“Our wins last year moved were really big because it moved us farther than we have for a while for our program, and so it was just really exciting,” said Laney DeLoe.
DeLoe is one of four returners from that playoff squad. Joining Hadley Nicholson, Zoe Moore and Kam Long to comeback from that playoff squad.
DeLoe, a Willamina-Grad, went 4-11 as a starter with 69 strikeouts. But pitched in two games in the NWAC Postseason, pitching nine innings with eight strikeouts while giving up seven runs as the former small school pitcher was making the transition to Junior College ball
“2A/3A Softball to College Softball is a big jump. I learned a lot of things I didn’t know and a lot of things I did know and I just improved on that,” said DeLoe. “I improved my velocity a little bit and I timed up my spin a lot better and just how to attack the zone really, really well. Working inch-by-inch.”
New faces include Shay Qualls (Sprague), Addi Bennett (Salem Academy), Meagan Trissel (Scio) and Layni Noonkester from Humboldt State.
Noonkester, a Shortstop, played in four games at the NCAA Division-II level as a freshman last year and has already lend a leadership voice for the squad so far with her new team in Salem, Oregon.
“It’s a whole different game going from High School and Travel Ball to College. But it gave me a lot more knowledge and stuff like that,” said Noonkester.
“You got to be the loudest on the field. You and the catcher, you got to work together. It’s a vocal position for sure,” said Noonkester on being one of those infield leaders on the field.
Chemeketa will open the season February 21 at Yakima Valley and their home opener won’t be until March 24 against Clackamas.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
