Marblehead softball looking for a repeat of last year’s success

The Marblehead High softball team lost eight players to graduation and a senior to an injury, but coach John Gold is optimistic this year’s team will iron out the wrinkles during the first half of the season and finish up strong.The Magicians were 14-4 last season, which was good enough for second place in the Northeastern Conference South behind Danvers.”Normally that (a 14-4 record) is a pretty good year,” he said. “I was happy with it.”Gold will have its work cut out trying to replace the likes of Samantha Norman and Kate Fallon, particularly on the offensive end. Fallon, a three-year starter, hit .555 with two home runs, four doubles, two triples and 17 stolen bases. Fallon, a third baseman, hit .436 with 25 RBI and 24 runs scored.The Magicians will also feel the loss of senior captain Emma Crowley. The Northeastern Conference All-Star left fielder hit .514 as a junior, but she’ll miss the season due to an ACL injury she suffered during basketball.”That’s a huge loss,” Gold said.Among the players Gold will be looking at to lead the way this year will be senior first baseman Silvie Cohen, a four-year varsity player who Gold is hoping will give the Magicians some power at the plate. Another senior, Stephanie Lyons, has been on the varsity for four years, but this year she’ll crack the starting lineup in left field.The rest of the team is primarily underclassmen, but that doesn’t mean they lack experience. Katherine DiGiamarino, who started at shortstop as a freshman last year, is back.”Every year she matures. She’s a great athlete. She’ll be one of the leaders,” Gold said.Junior Sarah Hastings will be back on the mound. She pitched every game last year after missing the previous season with a knee injury.Sophomores Lucia Chaleck and Alexa Gross will be in the starting lineup, with Chaleck in center field and Gross at second base. Junior Emma York will return to right field and sophomore Carly Score and junior Ari Freddo will both see time behind the plate. Freddo could also get the call to DH. Junior Kristina Leggett will play third base.”We’re very young. There isn’t a lot of experience at the varsity level. We’ll probably do better in the second half,” Gold said, adding that he’s seeing lots of talent at the eighth grade level that bodes well for the future.Gold’s varsity assistant this year is Todd Norman, father of former player Sam Norman.