Celeste Huffman

• Article
• May 16, 2022

By: SID Chase Dodge Westcliff Softball has concluded their 1st season of competition with an overall record of 22-31 and 19-13 in conference play. The Warriors also in their 1st year grabbed the 3rd seed and an appearance at the 2022 Cal Pac Softball Tournament. The Warriors won their 1st game in the elimination bracket against La Sierra. Westcliff fell in the next game against Simpson. This season as a whole felt like every other sport season softball players competing in the regular and conference schedule. You would be forgiven if you forgot that it was Westcliff Softball's first year as a program. Coaches and players came into the 2022 season wanting to prove themselves to the rest of the Cal Pac. They have definitely achieved that goal. Westcliff grabbed a win against all conference members faced during the season. At the end of the regular season Westcliff was selected as the 3rd overall seed in the Cal Pac conference tournament. Westcliff also had 5 players earn All Cal Pac Honorable Mention: Celeste Huffman; Gabby Clippinger; Kassandra Ramos; Nina Hendriks; Natalie Ziegler. Our right fielder Natalie Ziegler was also named to the 2022 Cal Pac Defensive Team. We sat down with Head Coach Vanessa Kellems to talk about the season and the future of Westcliff Softball: What was the best series you played against this season? "The best series we played was against ERAU and Simpson. Both teams were solid games. Both series were tough competition but our team continued to battle each inning. Even though we listen these series, this competition help elevate our team game level. We went extra inning with Simpson and continued to battle. One game against Simpson, we were behind and Des Moreno got a home run to bring us back into the game. In that same game, we went extra innings and Gabby Clippinger smacked one over the fence to pull us ahead."  How was the feeling of being a 1st year program along with making it to your 1st conference tournament? "It was an amazing feeling to be apart of a new program and making a strong impact our first season out. We had a lot of standards set for ourselves to reach to set the tone of the program. It was a great feeling to have the team earn the third seed in the conference and make it into postseason play. Knowing that we are one 5 teams with and Westcliff was one of the 5. To make it in the first season is even a greater feeling of accomplishment. It was a bit surreal to make it to post season and we were a bit nervous our first game, but it was great to make it our first year so we know what to expect for next year."  What are some goals for next season? "Our goals for next season is to come out strong on our preseason against tough competition to prepare us for conference play. We love to rank high in the seeding next year and play the post season tournament again, potentially even past it. Our main goal is continue to make a name for ourselves and surprise teams with our continual progress." What are some positives from the season that you want to carry into the next season and group of athletes? "One big positive we are carrying over into next season is we will have a large returning class. For our first season, we were a very young team mainly consisting of freshmen and sophomore with one senior. So one big thing for us is our players being so young have already experience the first season and make into the postseason for the first time I will be better equipped to go through it again. Another big positive as we have Nina Hendriks returning back in the circle for us which is great with her experience this season and to help guide our younger pitchers." 

• Article
• May 04, 2022

• Article
• April 12, 2022

The Westcliff softball team erased a six-run deficit Tuesday afternoon at the Great Park in the first of a doubleheader against La Sierra, taking the win with a Becky Ramos walk-off double, 9-8.

• Article
• April 06, 2022

Westcliff hosted Park-Gilbert on Tuesday for a double header. The 1st game started off with Westcliff getting out front with the lead in the 2nd Inning. The Buccaneers rallied in the 4th and the following Innings to gain the lead 6-2 heading into the final at bat. Warriors were able to tie the game at 6 a piece. Becky Ramos started it off with a single up the middle followed by a double from Diana Hughes. Lauren Coppla hit a double that sent 1 run home. Natalie Ziegler hit a triple to cut the buccaneers lead to just one. The Warriors sent the game to extra Innings. Westcliff was once again down by one run. Kassandra Ramos doubled down the left field line to tie the game. Natalie Ziegler once again came up to bat and hit a walk off single to right field. Warriors comeback down by 4 to grab the win in the 8th Inning. Game 2 was an entirely different story from the first. Westcliff decided not to be caught in a close game situation. Warriors struck early with a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st. Westcliff's defense held the Buccaneers to just 3 hits. Warriors extended their lead in the bottom of the 4th. Westcliff finished game 2 with 7 hits for the final score 8-0. Top Performers (Game 1) Natalie Ziegler: 3-5, Triple, 3 RBIs Becky Ramos: 3-4 Desarae Moreno: 2-4 Kassandra Ramos: 2-4, Double, 3 RBIs Lauren Coppla: 2-4, 2-4, Double, 1 RBI Top Performers (Game 2) Natalie Ziegler: 2-3, 2 Doubles Desarae Moreno: 1-3, Double, 2 RBIs Celeste Huffman: 1-3, 1 RBI Nina Hendriks: (W,9-7), 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 SOs Interview Notes We talked to Natalie Ziegler and Kassandra Ramos about their thoughts on these double headers. This is what they had to say about the come from behind victory in game 1, "Ziegler - it felt good to fight back and get the energy back in the dugout. We really just said that it is up to us, we have to fight and go get it. Ramos- We all kind of know that we all play pretty well together once we start getting hits we are great." Game 2 getting the lead early, "Ziegler- It felt nice to get a leg up, I felt the support from all my teammates around me, we kept the energy high." Westcliff will finish off their 4 game series against Park wednesday morning at 11:00am at the OC Great Park.

• Article
• April 03, 2022

• Article
• March 25, 2022

• Article
• March 24, 2022

• Article
• March 13, 2022

• Article
• March 06, 2022

• Article
• March 04, 2022

By: SID Chase Dodge What Happened? Westcliff in its last non-conference game before conference play faced off against Goshen College. Game 1 started off slow with the Warriors earning the 1st run of the day off of an error by the Leaves. However in the Top of 3rd is where the Leaves broke away from the Warriors earning 6 Runs in that inning alone. The rest of game 1 was the Warriors fighting to get their offense started but was unsuccessful with the Leaves taking Game 1: 8-1. The 2nd game was more entertaining with the Warriors down by 2 in the bottom of the 5th. A lead off single by Siana San Vicente along with Ananda Delegarito reaching 1st on a fielder's choice at the next at bat. Both San Vicente and Delegarito advancing one base off of a wild pitch saw the Warriors in scoring position. A triple by RF Natalie Ziegler tied the game but that was not all. Ziegler on that same play went all the way home off of a throwing error by the Leaves. The Warriors were now up 4-3. This lead was short lived however, as the Leafs in the top of the 7th scored 3 runs to earn back the lead. The bottom of the 7th saw the Warriors fight back loading the bases but were unlucky. The Leaves won game 2: 6-4. Final Score Game 1 Westcliff - 1 | 3 | 2 Goshen - 8 | 12 | 2 Game 2 Westcliff - 4 | 10 | 0 Goshen - 6 | 15 | 4 Top Performers (Game 1 and Game 2) Natalie Ziegler - 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 PO Becky Ramos - 2-6, 2 R, 12 PO Desare Moreno - 3B , 1 RBI, 4 PO Celeste Huffman - 3B  Nina Hendriks - 10 SOs What's Next? Westcliff will be taking on Antelope Valley in their first conference 4 game series this weekend on Friday and Saturday. Game times for both days are at 12:00 and 2:00

• Article
• February 23, 2022

• Article
• February 09, 2022

It was a long time coming. After almost a three-year wait, Westcliff softball finally took the field at the Great Park Tuesday afternoon for a double-header with Chapman, and what a time it was. The stadium was packed with blue as Dean of Athletics Shawn Harris tossed out the ceremonial first pitch, and soon after starting pitcher Nina Hendriks made it official with her own. Chapman took the first contest, a back-and-forth affair, 3-2, before taking home the nightcap, 2-0.