Catasauqua head softball coach Paige Kogelman isn’t looking at the outside picture of her team that had an overall 3-11 record to begin this week.

Instead, she has taken a deeper look.

“It’s going well,” she said. “They came out and gave everything they had against Bangor, and they held their own.

“We’re playing better as a team, and we’re right there with teams.”

Freshman pitcher Delaney Troxell has taken her lumps, and she has continued to work her way through the season. In a recent loss to Palmerton, Troxell was 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs at the plate. Troxell is hitting. 550 with 22 hits in 40 at-bats.

A traveling tournament pitcher, Troxell has shown signs of putting it all together on the mound.

“Delaney is our primary pitcher,” said Kogelman. “She is learning how to deal with strategies out there. She is learning what to do differently, and she is recognizing parts of the game from her tournament ball.

“She just needs to gain more confidence because he is one of the youngest pitchers in the league. I also want here to take a leadership role, and she is starting to learn how to do that.”

Along with Troxell, freshman Sophia Becker has been solid at third and catcher, and sophomore Cora Soltis has made a surging successful transition to the outfield.

Sophomore Olivia June is the Rough Riders’ other hurler, and she has done a nice job in the field and with her bat.

Kogelman is optimistic her team can adopt the mantra and work ethic of their predecessors, and the third-year head coach can personally attest to the glory days of the program.

“Catty softball always was a team sport, no matter who was a standout,” she stressed. “It always was about the hole, and not just a couple of parts.

“We always strive to win, and we have to give 110 percent. They all have to look for their own growth.”

She also is confident a number of her players can play during the summer.

“It would be big for them to do, but I know it is hard,” she said. “A lot of girls play three sports at Catty with it being a small school.

“We’ll keep working hard, and the results will come.”