PEABODY — It’s easy to dwell on a slow start and allow it to affect the rest of the season. But when pitcher Tianna Dawe and the Peabody softball team dropped their first three games of the spring, they decided to learn from their mistakes instead.
“We knew going into the season that it was a new team,” Dawe, a senior, said. “We lost a lot of great players and we had a new coach coming in (Tawny Palmieri). Our first three games were tough but we learned from them. Even in those losses we did have, the games were close. We weren’t getting shutout and we just had to keep working to get on the right track.”
Peabody’s group of senior leaders, starting with Dawe in the circle, helped the Tanners bounce back. They righted the ship in time to qualify for the Division 1 North state tournament.
“We had a slow start but I was figuring (Tianna) out as well as the rest of the team,” Palmieri said. “The team was figuring me out too as a new coach. Tianna kept us in games when we couldn’t hit and we started to get the offense going and pick her up when she had off days. She always has her teammates backs. She’s a great team player.”
For Dawe, every time she steps into the circle gives her another chance to help her team succeed. And she always looks to make the most of that opportunity.
“All I think about is that no matter how I’m feeling I want to throw as hard as I can for my team every day,” Dawe said. “It helps when you know you have great players behind you. The key is to just stay focused. Whether someone gets a home run off me or a team is hitting me, you have to focus and move past it.”
As Palimieri gained familiarity with her Tanners, it didn’t take her long to realize she had a special talent in the circle.
“When you’re pitching you don’t always have it every game,” Palmieri said. “Tianna’s always the first one to hold herself accountable. She’s an athlete. She looks like a powerhouse pitcher. When I first saw her, I thought, ‘this kid could be the real deal.’
“She has the right attitude and the physical ability,” Palmieiri said. “She has all the characteristics of a great player. I love the kid. She’s a hard worker. She’s a great pitcher and gives you everything she has every game.”
The Tanners have also benefited from plenty of experienced leadership. Dawe’s one of Peabody’s five senior co-captains and the group has done a great job getting the Tanners where they need to be.
“We have five great senior captains,” Palmieri said. “Tianna’s never satisfied with any part of her game. It’s great for the younger players see a kid like that. She helps lead the team hitting and pitching. Nothing’s ever good enough for her. She’s always working on something and that’s a great way to lead.”
Dawe welcomes the leadership role with open arms.
“Being a senior, everyone’s looking up to you,” Dawe said. “You want to set the right example and it really helped having four other captains on the team. You have to have a positive attitude and keep everyone up.”
Dawe, who’s attending Emmanuel College in Boston in the fall, is confident the Tanners can make a run in the postseason. And that starts with a lot of hard work this week. Peabody wrapped the regular season at 13-7 and awaits Tuesday’s release of the Division 1 North state tournament pairings.
“This week we definitely have to practice hard,” Dawe said. “We have to work on all the little errors that hurt us in the season. You want to start hitting more consistently. When you get in the playoffs it’s all about getting stronger.
“It’s been a great season,” Dawe said. “We have a lot of talent. Throughout the year we have gotten better and we all work well together. We have built that chemistry all season.”
