Tourtellotte softball team fighting hard

Tourtellotte's Haley Anderson tries to bring in Jessica Mason from third. Photos by D. Coffey

The Tourtellotte Memorial High School softball team lost a hard-fought game against the Montville Indians on April 27, but came out on the short end of a 1-0 score. Tourtellotte had runners on first and third in the seventh inning with only one out. Montville was able to turn a double play and end the game.

Coach Brooke Nici thought her team played a good game against a tough opponent.

“They came out with the intensity we’ve been talking about all year,” Nici said. “They played good defense. They hit the ball. Unfortunately, they hit right at people. We didn’t make too many mistakes. We had some good double plays. And Alyson [Santerre] pitched extremely well. For her to limit the other team to one run was really good.”

It was the best her players had looked all week, Nici said. They just couldn’t catch a break against Montville.

“All their [Montville’s] sports programs are good. We knew that it was going to be a tough game. We beat them last year 6-1 and Alyson pitched that game and threw a shutout. I went with her again.”

The sudden end of the game on the heels of the double play silenced the Tourtellotte dugout.

“I told them, ‘If you’re playing one-nothing softball games, that’s great. Those are the kinds of games that you want to be in. Eventually we’ll be on the winning end of that.’ And that takes time,” Nici said.

The only score of the game came in the top of the fourth inning when Tourtellotte made a mental error, according to Nici. Montville scored when a throw home was cut off. “It shouldn’t have been cut off,” Nici said. “It would have gone right to the plate.”

Nici didn’t offer any excuses. “We had multiple opportunities to score and we didn’t,” she said.

Coach’s Corner-

Tourtellotte Memorial High School Softball Coach Brooke Nici

First season with the team.

"We came out after yesterday’s loss and were ready to play the way we wanted to play,” Nici said last week. “Our seniors are starting to click, but we need them to put the ball in the gap. We’re hitting it right at people.”

Seniors: Haley Anderson, Laura Durand, Stephanie Faucher, Stephanie Girouard, Victoria Jewell, Alyson Santerre, Jill Schellhammer, Victoria Szamocki, Stephanie Vogel.

Spotlight Player-

Alyson Santerre - Senior, Pitcher, #17: Santerre is a four-year varsity pitcher who doesn’t seem fazed by the change in the pitching circle this year. “It hasn’t affected her,” coach Nici said. “It’s not that big of a deal for her. She is one of those pitchers whose pitches move. We try to put her pitches in certain locations so she can be effective.” She works on distance in the pitching lessons she has been taking. Santerre plans to attend Elms College in Springfield, Mass., where she will play softball.