Palo Alto Heat girls softball team heads to the state championships

UPDATE: The Palo Alto Heat 10-U girls’ softball team finished the California State Games tournament by winning the semifinals but lost the final by just one point in overtime.

Sitting on bleachers at the ball field at Cubberley Community Center, a group of 10- and 11-year-old girls eagerly discussed their planned manicures: French tips, fill or sparkly? One held up her newly painted nails: brightly painted green to match their softball team’s jersey colors.

Underneath their girly innocence, this gaggle of youth in dirt-smeared uniforms are fiercely talented competitors. The Palo Alto Heat 10-U softball team can hit searing line drives and home runs and tag out competing teams with one-two, split-second double plays.

The team, which on June 25 won the USA Softball Northern California Championships qualifier tournament for the first time, is headed to the big leagues: the California State Games tournament in San Diego, which takes place this weekend July 14-16.

“This one is special. We had to earn a spot,” 10-U coach Jake Duckworth — “Coach Jake” — said. “It’s an honor to get elected to the … team. They love it.”

The Palo Alto Heat is an extension of Palo Alto Girls Softball and is a competitive summer team organized into separate units based on age: 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14. The girls in the summer league are chosen after tryouts. This year, the 10-U team and the 12-U team — the latter being girls 12 and up — are both headed to the state tournament.

The girls come from all backgrounds and number 13 in all. Besides softball, they also love each other, having developed deep friendships.

“They always come early and hang out after,” Duckworth said.

The girls practice for two hours, three days a week and compete in five or six tournaments, he said. Duckworth has been coaching the girls 10-U team for three years, with his father, Charlie Duckworth (Grandpa Charlie to the girls), also instructing.

On a sunny Tuesday evening this week, 11-year-old Anjali Uggirala pitched toward Coach Jake. Her long, slender arm fluidly launched the neon-yellow balls toward the batter. A broad grin spread across her face as she surveyed her surroundings from atop the mound.

“I’ve been playing for three years. It’s really fun,” she said. Some people are coaxed into playing, but “I just play it because it’s fun to me and it makes me feel happier. I’m really excited about going to San Diego — and kind of scared too.”

Abby Duckworth, 10, plays both catcher and shortstop. On Tuesday, she was not only an eagle-eyed catcher; she also hit a mean ball just about every time, with laser-beam-like focus. She said she enjoys the competition the game affords.

“It’s fun, even if we don’t win, and it’s fun being around my teammates,” she said.

Coach Jake, her father, hit grounders to first base, showing the girls how to scoop up the ball without having it bounce out of the mitt, while Charlie Duckworth instructed Jingshu Lin on her technique to turn and throw the ball to third base.

Lin, 10, said she has also been playing for three years.

“I think going to San Diego will be a big opportunity to prove all of the time that I’ve been practicing softball,” she said.

Sheng Lin, Jingshu’s father, said the softball team and the entire organization are supportive. He introduced his daughter to softball because he wanted her to pick up an interest and stick to it.

“She pushed herself to practice and make herself better. She has a good relationship with Abby and Anjali. They have a friendship that will last a lifetime,” he said.

At home plate, Coach Jake hit a long one, the ball clanging off the aluminum bat. The girls raced around the plates as the ball flew toward second base. Lin tagged her runner. In seconds, the ball zoomed toward the first-base runner. Out! A double play!

Shortstop Bailey Boyd, 10, nabbed a ball as it shot past the pitcher and deftly turned toward first base. The runner was out.

“Softball is really fun. You get to meet new people every season. Win or lose, you still have fun,” she said.

Across the field, the other team going to the state tournament, the Palo Alto Heat 12-U, practiced under the watchful encouragement of coach Arjun Prabhu. His own daughter played for six years, he said.

The girls on this team include Anna Kissane, Samantha Prabhu, Claire Kissane, Elly An, Mila Kalember, Emmylou Filo, Emilia Rose James, Alexa Armstrong, Kaitlin Ye, Eliza Johnson, Sarah Eng and Sasha Grebene.

“They’re jazzed to go to San Diego,” he said.

Softball has taught the girls control and concentration.

“It’s just incredible to see the level of play and how it’s improved. I’m proud of their development,” he said.

Back at the diamond where the 10-U team practiced, left fielders Audrey Cohen and Maria Gianotti slammed balls pitched by Coach Jake. Other players worked with Grandpa Charlie using a pitching machine.

When practice finished, the girls said they would celebrate their NorCal win and the coming state tournament by dumping a pail of water over Coach Jake, as winners do after ball games — and in typical 10-and-11-year-old-girl fashion, they’ll paint his fingernails.

For Lauren Sidel, 10, the trip itself will be a big adventure.

“I’ve never traveled so far,” said Sidel, who has played softball for five years and takes infield, second and third base positions, making her the team’s utility player. “Softball means everything to me. Even if you don’t win, you can always feel good that you did your best and show it off.”

Coach Jake acknowledged it hurts the heart when a loss comes.

“There are tears at times, but they’ve learned to pick themselves up,” he said.

And what are their chances at the state tournament?

“They’re going to win,” he said. “Either way, it’s going to be great.”