The Ceres Sizzle DSP 12-and-under travel softball advanced to the finals of the NSA Pacific Coast Western Nationals this past week in Modesto.

“These girls have proven a lot of doubters wrong,” Sizzle assistant coach Matt Perry said. “They proved we could compete with bigger organizations and older teams. We had players on the team that could play at the 10u level. But they’re talented enough to compete at 12u.”

Ceres compiled a 6-3 record en route to a second-place finish at Western Nationals.

The Sizzle played nine games in three days at Rainbow Fields.

“It was a full-team effort,” Perry said. “These girls grinded. They were definitely feeling it (fatigue).”

Ceres needed to beat the unbeaten Cen Cal Khaos twice to claim the title.

“The last two teams left were us and the Khaos,” Perry said. “Pretty satisfying we made it that far.”

The Khaos eliminated the Sizzle from Western Nationals with a 7-5 win on Saturday.

Cen Cal broke a 5-5 tie late in the game.

“It’s a tough way to lose,” Perry said. “It was a competitive game. The chances were there. We had runners on base almost every inning. They got more timely hits.”

“Both teams were focused,” he added. “They gave everything they had.”

The Sizzle had an emotional postgame meeting.

“There were lots of tears,” Perry said. “This is not just a sport. This is a game that brings families together.”

 The Sizzle won five straight elimination games prior to losing to the Khaos.

Ceres collected wins against the Clovis Rockets (10-7), Brawlers (6-2), Westside Bullets (16-7), Athletics (8-2) and Cen Cal Stars (9-1).

The Sizzle dropped into the loser’s bracket after falling 5-2 to the Brawlers.

“They knew their season would be done if we lost again,” Perry said. “They kept battling.”

Ceres posted a 1-1-0 record in pool play.

The Sizzle topped the Black Sox (3-2) and lost to the Khaos (7-2).

Sophia “Buster” Santillan and Gabriella Cole logged playing time at pitcher.

“We had a great 1-2 punch,” Perry said. “They put the ball in the right spots at the right times.”

The Sizzle played in nine tournaments during the 2023 season, which got underway in January and ended in July.

Ceres finished first six times and second twice.

“We felt early as a coaching staff we had a good team,” Perry said. “We had girls that could play multiple positions. That was a big key to our success.”

“We were competitive in every tournament we attended,” he added. “That says a lot.”

A total of 15 players suited up for the Sizzle this year, including Santillan, Gabriella Cole, Aubrey Cole, Genesis Tizoc, Haygen Stivers, Hope Terrero, Leilani De Leon, Lina Morales, Mia Sanchez, Olivia Sanchez, Paige Perry, Samantha Torres, Sami Alcaraz, Selene Valencia and Sophia Alcaraz.

Ceres will compete with a new-look roster next season.

“The majority of the team is aging up,” Perry said. “We’ll have four returners.”