Fenwick softball looking to rebound

The Bishop Fenwick softball team didn’t have one of its better seasons last year, going an uncharacteristic 6-14, but coach Paul Lyman is buoyed by the fact eight of the losses were in one-run games.”I think a lot of that had to do with our inexperience,” Lyman said, noting that if even half of those close games went the other the Crusaders would have been in the tournament.Lyman has six starters returning, but they’ll be a lot of reshuffling position-wise to fill the gaps left by the girls who graduated, second baseman Jen Comeau and outfielder Courtney Ramunno. Fenwick also lost a promising young player in Casey Fitzgerald, who hit .327 with 13 RBI as a sophomore. She returned to North Reading. A fourth player, starting center fielder Danielle DiNuccio, injured her knee in soccer and is sitting out the softball season.The Crusaders do, however, return some experience on the mound with junior Alyssa Begin, who did most of the pitching last season, and sophomore Taylor Ahearn, who Lyman brought up near the end of the year for the Courtney Corning Tournament in Peabody.”They’ll be our one and two,” Lyman said.Senior Courtney Begin, who also did some pitching last year, will most likely play second base, Lyman said,”They’re three very capable pitchers,” he said.Lyman is also confident in his team’s defense. Senior first baseman Christina Cipriani is a four-year starter and Catholic Central League All Star. She hit. 492. She’s a captain along with Courtney Begin.Amy Pelletier, who started at shortstop as a freshman, is back, as is sophomore Erin Botticelli, who will be behind the plate. Botticelli stepped in at catcher after Amanda McInnis was injured. McInnis is back and can play either catcher or second base.Lyman has a talented freshman in Katherine Melanson, who will be starting at third.”She’s a nice addition to the team,” Lyman said. “It’s nice to see someone like that come in.”Lyman is still putting the finishing touches on the outfield. When Alyssa Begin doesn’t pitch, she’ll be out there, but the other two spots are up for grabs. Junior Sydney Southern and senior Sam Bouchard are both in the hunt for those jobs.The Fenwick coach said he also has nice players at the lower level. He expects botht he junior varsity and freshmen teams to be fairly strong.”I think we’re going to have good pitching and good defense,” Lyman said. “Those were the staples of the old Fenwick teams.”