Coming into the 2026 season, Chartiers Valley softball coach Chris Lloyd set the goal for his team to start 5-0 in section play and try and avoid the same slow start the team had last season when it went 3-3 in its first six games.
But the combination of mother nature and a bit of bad luck curtailed those early season goals and has Chartiers Valley (1-7, 1-6) on the outside of the playoff picture.
The Colts’ first four games, all nonsection matchups, were washed out, and they got only one true warmup, a 3-0 loss to South Park, before they jumped right into section play.
“That left us with 10 straight section games,” said Lloyd after his team lost their fourth straight section game, a 9-4 loss to Montour on April 7.
“Instead of taking it game by game, we have to take it inning by inning and work to win each inning,” Lloyd continued. “We have to fight, crawl, climb, find any way possible to come out on top.”
Through their first six games this year, the Colts had similar numbers (20 runs and 36 hits) when compared with the first six games last year (26 runs and 30 hits). Lloyd was hoping his team could make the same turnaround with the bats as it did last year.
“I brought it up with the team a couple days after that Montour loss,” said Lloyd. “I said here’s what we did early last year and in our next six games, we scored 66 runs on 69 hits. We just have to get our bats going.”
Chartiers Valley was averaging five strikeouts a game going into an April 9 matchup with Upper St. Clair, which meant the Colts are getting barrels to the ball, but haven’t been able to string enough hits together to produce enough runs to come away with wins.
The Colts did a better job in that game against the Panthers, stringing hits together and putting up crooked numbers in the runs department in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
Still, Upper St. Clair outscored the Colts 5-4 in the fifth inning and that was the difference in a 10-9 loss.
“We have the bats to do it up and down our lineup,” Lloyd said. “We’ve had success before. We have to find the pieces to the puzzle, get things to click and make everything go.”
The Colts will rely on the two seniors on the roster this year in catcher Lily Duffill and outfielder Kaityn Troung to help guide the team out of their funk.
Duffill, a Penn State commit, eclipsed 100 career hits with a 3 for 3 day in the loss to the Panthers, and Lloyd is hopeful that her work ethic is noticed and rubs off on the younger girls on the team.
“Watching her grow the last four years, it’s crazy how fast it went,” said Lloyd. “I remember when she came in as a freshman that it would last forever, but here we are nearing the end of her four years and it’s been fun to watch.”
When a game is over, Duffill is just getting started. She usually is off to a hitting, catching or pitching lesson, sometimes all three, after a game.
“She’s nonstop, and the more she does outside and in practice, the more it shows on the field,” said Lloyd. “She works harder than anyone I know. It’s going to be tough to see her go.”
While Duffill quietly leads by example, Troung is the more vocal leader.
“She has a lot of passion, is the loudest on the bench,” said Lloyd. “She is always trying to pick everybody up. She’s the voice and it’s a nice foil to have between her and Lily as leaders.”
Chloe Tenney, who saw plenty of time in the circle last year, returns as the team’s top pitcher. She got off to a great start to open the year, tossing a no-hitter through five innings in a 6-5 win over Upper St. Clair in the section play opener on March 27.
“Chloe has grown a lot and is pitching very well,” Lloyd said. “She’s growing and getting stronger every day.”
Joining Tenney in the circle is sophomore Elaina Conroy, who has an arsenal completely different from Tenney’s that keeps the opposing hitters off balance. Duffill has also seen time as a pitcher.
In the field, Ava Dunlap, Morgan Vaughan, Alana Woods, Gianna Scalise and Alyssa Tenney are all returning players who have plenty of experience.
Joining them is sophomore Maddie Guttilla at second base, fellow sophomores Aurora Hyde and Ally Capozzoli, who have seen time in the outfield.
Freshman Sadie Shamonsky has provided a spark with her bat off the bench. She did just that going 2 for 2 in the game against Montour in April 7.
Lloyd reset the team’s goal to going 5-0 in the second half of section play, but after losing to Upper St. Clair, the road has gotten a little bit rockier.
On April 13, the Colts sat in last place in the six-team Section 3-5A with a 1-5 record and just two games out of the fourth playoff spot, occupied by Moon (2-3).
There is still a chance that Chartiers Valley can climb into that playoff spot.
They lost another heartbreaker, a 4-3 loss to section opponent South Fayette in 11 innings, on April 13. But the night brought good news as the teams above them in the standings, Upper St. Clair and Moon, each lost as well in section play, so that leaves the playoff door ajar for now.
But, if the team can build upon the offense it displayed in the loss to Upper St. Clair, get more help from within the section and have their luck swing a whole 180 degrees, they could find themselves where they wanted to be at the start of the year.
“If we find our stride right now, you’re getting close to May, and if we keep it up, we can make some noise in the playoffs,” said Lloyd. “We have to find a way to get there. We have to build up the confidence and morale of the girls. Now’s the time to go.”