File photos – Del Norte pitcher Shay Nolan and catcher Carlee Harper

Good teams win championships, great programs win three of them in a row.

And that’s exactly what the Del Norte girls achieved on the softball fields this spring, as they continue to showcase just why they are one of the most dominating programs in all of H-DNL sports right now.

On Saturday, they overcame a slow start to a day that was full of distractions on the way to sweeping a doubleheader of games against the McKinleyville Panthers in Crescent City and securing at least a share of this year’s conference championship.

On Wednesday, the 10-1 Warriors will try to clinch the title outright for a third straight year when they travel to Eureka for their conference finale.

The Fortuna Huskies, who also swept a doubleheader at Arcata on Saturday, closed out the Big 5 with a 10-2 record and can still share the title if the Warriors lose on Wednesday.

“I’m very, very proud of my girls,” said Del Norte head coach Aaron Healy, who has been in charge of the team for the past two championships.

The players had to overcome some distractions on the way to the two victories.

It was senior day for a senior-heavy team and Saturday night was prom night.

That might partially explain a slow start in game one, but then again that’s nothing new for this group of players, who always seem to find a way to overcome that and always finish strong.

“It was a tough day today. It was senior day, there were a lot of distractions, it was prom night. The fact they got the job done was pretty cool,” said Healy, who added “We got off to a rough start. Our kids have proved they can come back, but I’m a little tired of (the slow starts).”

The Warriors took game one 11-9 and game two 12-2.

They trailed 0-5 in the opener and by seven runs at one stage, but as always they showed their composure and found a way to win.

File photo

“We just chipped away at it, got the lead and marched on,” Healy said.

Carlee Harper, who was MVP of the Big 5 last season as a junior, was instrumental in the comeback once again.

The influential senior catcher finished 3-for-4 in the opener and scored four runs.

“She gets on, she scores,” Healy said. “She did a great job.”

Fellow senior Tsinte Steinruck also had a big say in the win and finished 2-for-3 with a home run.

Pitcher Shay Nolan got the win in the circle and helped her own cause with a good game at the plate, finishing with four RBIs.

Defensively, in the opener the Warriors had five errors, which the coach described as a “little disappointing,” but the players overcame that adversity as well.

Harper reached base twice again on a pair of walks in game two and made the visitors pay by scoring a run on each occasion.

The team defense was a lot better in game two.

“Defensively, they performed like we expect them to play,” Healy said. “The pitching was great — we had one walk — and we had a lot of good base running and a lot of good at-bats. They came together as a team.”

Nolan got the win in the circle again as she continues to close out her high school career with a bang.

The senior ace has established herself as one of the most reliable pitchers in the H-DNL over the past three seasons.

“She’s a bulldog,” Healy said. “She’s a feisty one. She fights hard. Definitely the right person to have in the circle.”

File photo

Bliss Blackburn also continued to play well in center field, as did Audrey Phillips at second base and Steinruck at third base.

The Del Norte defense turned three double plays.

The Warriors will now turn their attention to Wednesday’s matchup at Eureka, with first pitch set for 4 p.m.

“Obviously we’ve got to get that one,” said Healy, whose team is now 19-2 overall.

No stats were immediately available for the Panthers for Saturday’s games.

With the two loses, they dropped to 4-7 in conference play and remain deadlocked with Arcata in the standings.

The two rivals will play for third place and the Big 5’s final Charles Lakin tournament berth on Wednesday.