It was a season to remember in softball for the Del Norte Warriors, who reached the North Coast Section Division-4 championship game and qualified for the state playoffs.After clinching their first Big 5 championship since 2018, the Warriors carried that momentum into the postseason where they won a pair of games on the way to the NCS final and would advance to the NorCal playoffs.The season ended on Tuesday in a 2-0 loss to Capital Christian in Sacramento in the Division-IV CIF NorCal Championships.The Warriors closed out the season with a record of 19-8 and went 10-2 on the way to winning the Big 5. Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate And, according to head coach Jackie Heuberger, it was a total team effort this year.“Everybody knows their role,” the head coach said during the playoff run. “Whether that’s on the field or on the bench they all know how important they are to this team.”Sophomore Shay Nolan helped set the tone in the circle and pitched the vast majority of innings along the way, including three one-run wins in four games against McKinleyville. Outfielder Izabel Schrader prepares to throw a ball back to the infield after recording an out. Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate “The greatest thing about Shay is she’s a perfectionist,” the head coach said. “She wants to do well and she wants to beat everybody. And she works hard and does what she needs to do.”She also got plenty of help from a sure-handed Warriors defense that backed her all season long.“She is 100 percent confident that they’re going to make the play. They all really have a lot of confidence in each other, and they all work hard for each other,” said Heuberger, who added “We had more double plays this year than any other season I’ve ever coached.”Nolan had a 2.71 ERA in the regular season.Juniors Alexis Heuberger and Koy McQuillen and sophomore Lauren Stutes led the team on offense. Outfielder Reece White makes a great catch. Below, Shay Nolan fires a pitch to the plate. Photo by Ray Hamill/The Triplicate googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });