Nucleus could lead to positive reaction for Peabody softball

While the Peabody High softball team lost a sizeable contingent of graduating seniors in 2009, coach Butch Melanaphy has good news for the Tanners who return for 2010.”The nucleus is back,” Melanaphy said.That nucleus, from a team that finished 13-6 last year, includes second baseman Katie Brunelle and shortstop MaryKate Helas up the middle, the battery of catcher Morgan Yeo and pitcher Nicole Wilson and two-thirds of the outfield: Emily Scolaro in center and Ashley Bouchard “probably in left,” Melanaphy said.”We’re going to be a solid team,” he said. “It’s just the way the players acclimate to varsity pitching. We’ll stick with everyone this year. I think it’s going to be a great year in the division. You can’t take a night off in this league. The coaches are great. There are some really smart coaches in this league. Every game is a battle.”The Tanners open against Lynn Classical at Breed on Tax Day, April 15.”We’ll start right off from the beginning,” Melanaphy said. “Get to know where you stand. We’ll play a good team.”Peabody will continue its schedule with a game against Beverly on April 21.”Another tough game,” the coach predicted. “It’s tough right from the beginning.”The Rams and Panthers, along with Danvers and Salem, were the Northeastern Conference squads Melanaphy cited as rivals for the defending champion Tanners this year.”It always is between Lynn Classical, Beverly, they’re all good,” he said. “Chris (Classical coach Chris Warren) always has a good team.”However, he sounded confident in the caliber of his players, including Wilson, a senior who returns for her fourth year on varsity.”I think she’s looking to go out on a high note,” Melanaphy said. “She seems to get better each year. She’s consistent, very consistent.”Other returnees from 2009 include third baseman Amanda Smith and Kaleigh Ryan, who caught last year but will probably start at first base or in the outfield.The team’s major losses came at first and in the outfield. Captain Kenia McKeon, a starting left fielder, has graduated, as have right fielder Lauren Tucker and first baseman Katie Tsapatsaris.To prepare for this season, the coach has scheduled scrimmages against St. Mary’s on Monday and Manchester-Essex on Tuesday, both in Peabody. However, he said, “With all the rain, it doesn’t look good at all.”As for the season itself, he said, “Our goals are obviously to try to win the NEC again. We’ll take it one game at a time.”He also mentioned the Courtney Corning Tournament, named for the late Peabody High student-athlete who died in a car accident in 2007. Melanaphy coached Corning in softball.”It’s a goal to win that for the Corning family,” he said.This year’s tournament will include Peabody, Beverly, Bishop Fenwick and Ipswich. It will take place at Endicott College on Memorial Day.The coach also listed doing well in the state tournament as a goal for 2010.