For the Catasauqua softball program, it has been a long time coming.

The Rough Riders will be back in the district playoffs for the first time since 2015 when they were the number one seed in Class 3A and lost to Pine Grove in the semifinals.

Catty finished the regular season with a 9-11 mark and was one of nine teams in the Class 2A bracket, allowing a minimum of five teams to qualify for the tournament. Panther Valley, the sixth seed with an 8-12 record, also qualified for the postseason.

Head coach Paige Kogelman, who is in her fifth year at the helm and was a standout on the Roughies’ previous postseason teams, believed her team would be in the mix throughout the season, as the Roughies returned the majority of their players from last year’s 8-12 squad that just missed the mark.

Kogelman has admired the grit of her team that has overcome several obstacles. They ended the season with wins over Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg (9-1) and Executive Education (25-0) and won three of their last four contests, downing Wilson (11-1) in the process. Catty began the season losing four of its first five games.

The Roughies could open up against second-seeded Minersville, which was 12-8 during the regular season. Catty will begin play next week.

“We have been battling with some physical injuries, and we hope this break will allow us some time to heal and regroup,” she said. “We continue to be our own biggest threat, beating ourselves many times.

“They have the capability to hang and beat any team.”

Delaney Troxell recently notched her 400th career strikeout, and she has hit better than .570 for the season, topping the team in hits and runs scored. Troxell has over 80 strikeouts for the season.

In addition, Nayeska Miranda was recently hitting .455 and Sophia Becker was at .393. Miranda had 11 RBIs and Troxell and Becker each had 10.

Troxell has appreciated her teammates’ support.

“Getting 400 strikeouts was really special,” said Troxell. “My teammates have been my biggest supporters, and I couldn’t have done it without them. Sophia Becker is an amazing catcher, and is doing a great job behind the plate.

“Making districts was our goal for this season. We have worked really hard to get to this point. Getting the last two wins in the regular season gives us a lot of momentum for the postseason.”

Kogelman is confident her team can take the next step in the postseason.

“We hope we can fix any kinks by the time the playoffs begin,” she added. “We feel we can show everyone what kind of talent and determination this group has.”