Chapel Field's dominance has been so consistent that it might hard to recall a period when it struggled.

Two years into its varsity program, Chapel Field hit rock bottom with a loss to then-Narrowsburg, now part of Sullivan West, in the 1998 Section 9 tournament. The Lions went 4-9 that season and Chapel Field coach Bill Spanjer Jr. recalled thinking this can only get better.

"I just said we cannot play like this," said Spanjer Jr., who has been the coach since softball started in 1996. "We can do better than this. And once those expectations were set, they've rolled over year to year."

That one defeat triggered a breakout season in 1999 when the Lions went 19-4 and advanced to the state semifinals. Chapel Field's reign has continued since then, as the team has reeled off 10 consecutive Section 9 Class D crowns and won five state championships.

Chapel Field will be vying for its sixth state title beginning 9 a.m. Saturday in the state semifinals against Section 5's (Rochester area) Elba.

Elba (23-3) defeated previously unbeaten Ripley, 2-1, in the state quarterfinals in the bottom of the seventh inning. Senior Kara Bergstresser hit a two-out, bases-loaded single to right field to give the Lancers the win. Elba's other top hitters include Chelsey Torpey, Jessica Maskell and Ashley Chiocco. Junior pitcher Sarah Schwartzmeyer gave up four hits and struck out six in the win.

Chapel Field (22-0), which will be playing Elba for the first time in the state tournament and defeated Afton 2-0 in last year's championship, completed its first undefeated regular season this year and is paced by junior ace Alyssa Brognano.

Brognano pitched 10 straight games this season without giving up a walk and has struck out more than 180 batters. This is also the first season when Chapel Field is hitting better than .300 as a team, led by junior center fielder Lyndi Fielitz and freshman second baseman Michelle Larson; both are batting .431.

"I've never had that before," said Spanjer Jr. "It's always been dominant pitching and average hitting. They have raised it a notch this year."

Every year has been a challenge to sustain the success from the previous season, but Spanjer Jr. has a knack for taking naturally gifted athletes and molding them into softball players, like basketball players Fielitz and Grace Hodges.

And because the Lions have faced little competition in Class D, Spanjer Jr. has regularly scheduled tough non-league games. Chapel Field, which will be bumped up to Class C next season, has defeated bigger schools like Middletown, Pine Bush, Cornwall and John S. Burke Catholic during its 10-year run.

"I think the key to our dominance has been our consistency," said Spanjer Jr. "We've lost four division games in the last 10 years. Every year we've risen up to the challenge."

mwassef@th-record.com