FILE PHOTO
Tianna Dawe looks to improve on an impressive 2016 freshman season.
By JOYCE EREKSON
The Peabody High softball team has some holes to fill this season, but several players returning in key positions should help ease the pain.
The Tanners finished the regular season 11-9 last year, but got bounced from the Division 1 North tournament by Lowell, 7-1, in a preliminary round game.
Coach Butch Melanaphy, now in his 11th season, lost four players from that team — first baseman Katie Tansey, second baseman Ashley Jenkins and outfielders, Nikki Sullivan and Paige Howard. Tansey, Hayward and Jenkins were all starters.
The Tanners will also be without last year’s starting catcher, Amanda Crawford. As a sophomore, Crawford provided some serious firepower with the bat. She led the team in runs batted in (23) and homeruns (3). She hit .371 and was a Northeastern Conference All-Star. Her plate production included eight doubles and a pair of triples. Crawford decided not to play this season. Jenkins also swung the bat well for the Tanners, hitting about .325.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is a softball team’s fortunes generally rise and fall with the quality of its pitching and that’s an area where the Tanners can breathe a sigh of relief. Sophomore Tianna Dawe is back in the circle looking to follow up on a very successful freshman season.
Dawe allowed just 35 earned runs in 109 innings pitched and had an earned run average of 2.04 with 99 strikeouts. She was also big contributor at the plate, hitting .297 with 11 doubles, six triples, two home runs and 19 RBI. Dawe was a Northeastern Conference All-Star and her team’s Most Valuable Player.
The second part of the Tanners’ one-two pitching punch is junior Mallory LeBlanc, who starts in the outfield when she’s not pitching.
“You can put her (LeBlanc) anywhere,” Melanaphy said.
Dawe logged the most innings in the circle last year and, although she struggled at times with walks and hit batters, Melanaphy expects improvement in those areas given her year of varsity experience and another season of summer ball.
“Her speed, as a freshman last year, was good,” Melanaphy said. “She’s tall with long arms and legs. She hits the corners a lot.”
Alyssa Alperen and Kaitlin Thibodeau-Cory are the co-captains this year.. Alperen also captained the volleyball and basketball teams. She played shortstop last year, but this year Melanaphy said she’ll alternate between short and second.
“Alyssa bonds the kids together,” Melanaphy said. “She’s always talking to them, making sure everyone’s up. She’s a great defensive player.”
Thibodeau-Cory is a four-year player who will return at third base.
“She’s a very good hitter and defensively she’s very good at third,” Melanaphy said. “She always get the bat on the ball. She’s a quiet kid who leads by example. The two of them make a good pair of captains.”
Infielders Rebecca Sabino and Alyssa Lake will also factor into the equation this year. Sabino can play a variety of different spots. Lake was at first last year, but tore her ACL playing field hockey and is not quite at 100 percent.
Jenna Delisi is a senior utility player who was on junior varsity last year. She can play infield and outfield. Junior Sydney Lowry also moved up to varsity and will compete for the first base position, while sophomore Makayla Iannalfo will likely see some time at shortstop or second.
When she wasn’t pitching, LeBlanc started in left field last season, but Melanaphy said she can play anywhere in the outfield. Senior Lexi Zammer is back starting in centerfield.
Senior Delaney Corson is another versatile player who can play either infield or outfield. Speedy Kelsie Blake came up from the junior varsity midway through last season and saw some time in the outfield. Jessica Krose, a senior infielder, is also up from the junior varsity as is senior Amanda Molle.
With Crawford not returning the Tanners are in need of a catcher and fortunately, for Melanaphy, he has two players who can fit the bill. Kristina Rossignoll is the frontrunner, but Molly Staunton is also an option.
The 2017 season will introduce some changes in the scheduling. With the folding of the Greater Boston League, Malden, Everett, Medford and Somerville relocated to the Northeastern Conference, bringing the number of NEC teams to a massive 16.
Peabody will play every conference opponent once (15 games) with the remaining five games against non-league teams.
The Tanners’ non-conference schedule includes against Beverly and either Bishop Fenwick or Danvers at the annual Courtney Corning Tournament, as well as two against Austin Prep and one against Everett, that will not count in the league standings.
“I’m going to say there will be no nights off,” Melanaphy said in assessing the strength of the league.
