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Rutland Herald Spring Sports Guide 2019
SOFTBALL
Phantoms, Cosmos want more than ‘close’
By TOM HALEY
Staff Writer
here’s an old saying that “close”
only counts in horseshoes
and drive-in movies. Too bad,
because Proctor came so close in its
bid for a softball state championship
last year.
The Phantoms had the bases loaded
when the Division IV state champi-
onship game ended in an 8-7 loss to
Whitchester.
Talk about close calls. Springfi eld
was trailing Enosburg 13-12 in the
seventh inning and had the bases
loaded with two outs in the Division II
quarterfi nals. Mykahla Jasinski ripped
a hard line drive that bounced over
the fence but was foul by a foot. The
runners were stranded, the Cosmos’
season over by inches.
Green Mountain coach Terry Farrell
had his own room in Heartbreak
Hotel.
His Chieftains were leading
BFA-Fairfax 2-0 late in the Division III
semifi nal contest when GM’s starting
pitcher Erika Knockenhauer had to
leave the game with an injury. The
Bullets wound up winning 3-2.
Everyone is chasing a state title, and
the Phantoms, Cosmos and Chieftains
are among the contenders again after
near misses in 2018.
on the pitching machine. The opener
comes April 8 at home against Spring-
fi eld’s hard-throwing Hannah Crosby.
T
Black River
It was a great run with Andrea
Stevens pitching, but she graduated,
and coach Zoe Trimboli is starting over
in the circle.
But there is reason for optimism.
Sara Swartz and Hailey Pierce will
share pitching duties. Pierce pitched
some in middle school and Swartz has
worked hard at the craft by throwing in
the gym over the winter.
Scott Stevens, Andrea’s father, will
be working with the pitchers, and
Green Mountain
ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO
Alyssa Carrie, left, throws a ball during softball practice at the West Rutland School
gymnasium Monday night.
Andrea will help out when she returns
from college in North Carolina at the
end of the semester.
The Presidents are in good hands
behind the plate. Kassie Niklasson
returns as the catcher and is one of
the captains along with center fi elder
Emily Perham.
Paige Kelley will be at fi rst base
and her sister Hope Kelley will be an
important piece of the puzzle. It is just
a matter of fi nding the best fi t for her.
Becca Rogers will play somewhere in
the infi eld.
Those are the players who return
with experience. There are other
unknowns who will make their mark
once the season begins.
The Presidents open at Leland &
Gray on April 10, and then have a long
break until meeting Leland & Gray at
home on April 22.
”We have got a really strong group of
hitters. We are going to have to throw
strikes and then defend it,” Trimboli
said.
Fair Haven
It will be different around Fair
Haven after a four-year run with
strikeout pitcher Olivia Bowen, who
has taken her act to nearby Castleton
University.
Coach Bill Jones has Cass Lanfear
as his pitcher and is also working with
Zoey Cole on the role.
Last year, the Slaters lost to Mount
Abraham in the Division II title game.
Cole blasted a ball over the left fi eld
fence in that game.
Other returning players are Katrina
Bean, Sam Barker, Allison McIntyre,
Kerigan Disorda, Kelsey Lafaso, Sydney
Rathbun and Madison Belden.
Bean will be in center fi eld.
”She is the leader of our outfi eld,”
Jones said.
McIntyre is a three-year starter at
third base.
A new player who has caught Jones’
eye in the preseason is Allison Lanfear.
Jones will want to turn up the speed
Knockenhauer returns in the circle
and Maddie Wilson will be catching
again. Wilson is a junior who has
been the varsity catcher since eighth
grade. She is one of the best defensive
catchers around.
Annie Lamson will be in center fi eld
and Rachel Guerra is back in the out-
fi eld, after being away from the game
last spring. Alex Hutchins is another
outfi elder.
Tierney O’Brien returns as the
starting shortstop and Meeka Hance is
at third base.
A couple notable newcomers are
Hannah Robinson and Kim Cum-
mings, who is new to the game.
”She never threw a ball before and
she was throwing bullets from one end
of the gym to the other,” Farrell said.
Knockenhauer did not throw until
after Christmas due to that nagging
back injury. But she is healthy now and
the Chiefs appear ready to make some
noise.
”I think we should be good,” Farrell
said.
Mill River
Initially, coach Mary Colvin was wor-
ried she might not be able to scrape
together a team. But the Minutemen
are 14 strong and ready to build on a
season where they earned the No. 8
seed in the playoffs.
And when you are trying to build
something, pitcher McKenna Ludden
is a good place to start. The senior
has put in the work in the offseason
by playing in a New York State league.
The second pitcher is Sadira Majorell,
Softball Continued on page 5