By John Orrell, Contributing Writer
Worcester / Shrewsbury – So much had gone so right and was seemingly falling into place for the Shrewsbury High School (SHS) softball team when they advanced to the Central Mass. Division 1 semifinals at Worcester State University’s Rockwood Field on June 7.
Despite matching up with top-seed Wachusett Regional, optimism was everywhere amongst this bunch of determined Colonials. The team was on a five-game win streak which included an 11-4 quarterfinal victory over former champions St. Peter-Marian. The leadership of its four seniors was instrumental to the mounting success, and the team had forged a bond with new head coach Jamie Millett who brought forth new ideas, new coaching concepts and a fresh attitude that would prove to be a difference-maker in 2017.
All of that is what makes Wachusett’s eighth-inning, walk-off 4-3 victory so difficult to absorb for Shrewsbury players, coaches and team supporters. In high school sports, the curtain to the season can fall so rapidly and that’s what happened in this matchup. With the loss, the fourth-seed Colonials conclude their season at 14-8.
“I couldn’t ask for better ball out of these kids,” said Millett. “All the hard work all season finally paid off. We were hitting the ball, pitching was on point, defense was good. The outcome was unfortunate but these were two great teams. Somebody had to walk away on top and unfortunately it wasn’t us today.”
One of the mantras brought to the Colonial program by Millett is called ‘win the day’, an emphasis on high expectations for things at hand and not dwelling on what may or may not be ahead, a concept that the team had clearly adopted.
“We’ve even broken it down to ‘win the inning’ meaning take it one inning at a time and the girls really stuck to that,” Millett said. “They were working their butts off all season. We had kind of a rigorous strength and conditioning program worked into our season and pre-season and the kids worked hard. They worked hard to get here.”
Shrewsbury found itself in an early deficit surrendering three first-inning runs but pitcher Molly O’Neill would go on to blank Wachusett until the deciding eighth inning. While O’Neill was getting it done in the circle, her teammates went to work on chipping away at the Mountaineer lead.
In the third, Gianna Simone reached on a single and eventually was plated when Olivia DiGirolamo cracked an RBI shot up the middle. Two frames later it was O’Neill helping her own cause with a leadoff single. She was courtesy run for by Mackenzie Huard who would score on a Taylor Dunphy single that was misplayed by the Wachusett leftfielder. After a fly out by Grace O’Hara, Sasha Brownstein, whose bat had been quiet to that point, rapped and RBI single to even the score that would eventually force extra innings.
Wachusett’s Brigid Griffin opened the eighth inning with what looked like a game-clinching homerun to deep centerfield that grazed the bottom of the fence but the ball stayed in the confines of Rockwood Field by feet. A groundout sent Griffin to third before Cammi Sperling ended it by slapping a ground ball to second where an accurate throw went home but was late allowing Griffin to cross home plate on the slide.
“We have a young team that has a bright future,” said Millett. “The four seniors on the team are great. I’m bummed that I only have them for one year. They worked great with me as a new coach. They bought into everything I asked and got everybody on the same page. I feel bad about the outcome today but they have nothing to be ashamed of and they can walk off with their heads high because this was a great year.”
Members of the Shrewsbury High 2017 Division 1 semifinalist softball team are seniors Taylor Dunphy (1B), Mackenzie Huard (1B / C), Meg Power (C), Ally Tocman (3B); juniors Julia Grocer (INF / OF), Karli DeSouza (INF / DH), Molly O’Neill (P), Jameson McCue (OF); sophomores Gianna Simone (OF / INF), Samantha Hallice (OF), Olivia Digirolamo (INF) along with freshmen Sasha Brownstein (INF / C), Gracie O’Hara (OF / C) and Riley MacCausland (INF).