A SEASON SWEEP and now the playoffs
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
Yes, we can say it now: the Lady Whalers are perfect. They finished the regular season last Thursday with an 18-2 demolition of Holbrook, their run total on the day matching their victories for the year. They completed the string with wins on four successive days, earning a trip to the state tournament that in all likelihood will begin here either Friday or Saturday.

MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent Flanked by coaches Chris Maury (far left) and Tom Pochman (far right) the Lady Whalers softball team stands behind its stellar record. The team will host a first-round playoff game either Friday or Saturday.

They were welcomed home by throngs of islanders who arrived at the wharf Thursday night to celebrate their historic achievement as the first undefeated softball team in island history. With a fire engine and police cruiser leading the parade, the turnout was a tribute to a team that has been simply dominant this spring.

"It was a great surprise," coach Chris Maury said of the unexpected rally.

The team's attention, however, quickly turned to the post-season, as the girls gathered for a team meeting Friday afternoon at the softball field, where paper cups placed strategically in the chain-link fence delineated their accomplishment for passersby: 18-0. Indeed, as Maury addressed his team, several cars honked their appreciation.

The Independent file Pitcher Olivia Hull leads the Lady Whalers with eight victories on the season.

The poise the team has displayed all season long was in evidence during the last week's contests, as the girls never wavered in keeping their unbeaten string alive. If they felt any pressure, Maury said, you'd never know it.

"The week was tough," he admitted. "I thought they handled it very well."

This is clearly a team on a mission, as evidenced by an explosive offense that allowed just five of their games to go the 7-inning distance. In their last game of the season, for instance, Olivia Hull pitched a five inning no-hit shutout with nine strikeouts, upping her total to eight wins on the season so far. The remaining wins have been turned in by the team's two other standout pitchers, Jess Guevara and Grace Anne Tornovish, who each have five victories to date.

As Maury says, "A difference this year is depth of pitching."

Other factors contributing to the flawless record include a standout defense and timely hitting.

"This year we minimized walks and errors," Maury pointed out. "We're not giving other teams much." As for hitting?

"This team comes out of the box real fast. We'll put 8, 10, 12 runs on the board in the first inning," serving not only as a team confidence booster, but as a pretty strong deterrent to the opposition.

After competing last year in the Mayflower League for what would turn out to be a one-year experiment, the girls faced the challenge this year of reacclimating themselves to an independent schedule. Maury says he and his team both realize that they will face tougher competition now that the playoffs have begun, but he knows the girls are up to the challenge.

"Regardless of the competition, we always played to our level," he pointed out. "There's not a team we can't match up with."

They've already improved on last year's 13-7 mark and have charted territory where no other Nantucket team has ventured. Coming on the heels of the girls' best-ever season in basketball - a 20- 3 mark and trip to the South Sectional finals - this year will already go down as the standard to which future teams in both sports must aspire.

And while a loss during the regular season would have been a jarring bump in the road, it would not have spelled disaster. There is no wiggle room during the tournament.

"For the playoffs, we need to quicken our game," Maury said. "We'll hit off live pitching (during practices) as much as we can."

For their efforts, they have been rewarded as a top seed in Division 3. Beyond that, they are without a league of their own and will therefore represent themselves, and Nantucket, throughout the playoffs.

And perhaps that's as it should be for this memorable team.

"I'll give you fifteen reasons for our success," Maury says. "This group has been as focused and hard-working as anyone could ask for. It's made it enjoyable for everyone involved. This has been a

fun year." I