Softball team looks forward to weekend "homestand"
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
After being on the road the last few games, the Lady Whalers are ready to spend the weekend at home with upcoming games Friday against Provincetown and Saturday afternoon with Nauset.

Caption - shep... MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent

They are also hoping for some decent weather for a change, as rain washed out last weekend's contests with Chatham and South Shore Vo-Tech. Not that coach Chris Maury expected anything different - now in his 15th year at the helm, Maury is well acquainted with early season softball weather.

He faced the same circumstance last year, as a matter of fact, when the team was only able to get in two games before April vacation. Through last weekend, this year's team sported the same 2-0 record as last year, with both victories credited to team ace Olivia Hull.

Hull had nine wins last year, if you recall, as the Lady Whalers soared to an undefeated 18-0 mark and a school best 19-1 record while advancing two games deep into the state tournament. Bolstering the pitching staff were Grace Anne Tornovish and Jess Guevera, who each had five wins.

Grace Anne Tornovish, right, pitched a perfect game and Olivia Hull, left, tossed a no-hitter - in a doubleheader. The Independent file

While the weather may be iffy, the team certainly isn't, with the return not only of the pitching staff but most of last year's record-setting squad, including seven out of nine starters. The captains are Cassie Moran and Molly Lentowski.

"We've got a great nucleus," Maury happily observed, noting that it was a coach's dream "any time you can bring back so many players from a very good team." There are a few new faces on the Lady Whalers, including the Dugan sisters, Morgan and Thayer, and freshman third baseman Kelly Reid. "She's doing very well," Maury said, pointing out that she was the team's leading hitter through the first two games.

There is one change from last year. "We did juice the schedule up a little bit," Maury said. "We feel like we've got a lot more competitive schedule this year, with two games against Sandwich, two games against Martha's Vineyard and two games against Ursuline Academy from up in Dedham. They are all new to the schedule this year. We were also able to get Chatham back for two and Mashpee for one game. We have a real good, competitive schedule."

The first test came in the season opening game against Martha's Vineyard, a tight contest won, 3-2, by Nantucket, thanks to Guevera's three-run homer. "We couldn't find a better way to start the season than by having a home game against the Vineyard and winning a close one," said Maury. Those are the types of games the coach is confident his team can handle. But he'll take the other kind, too, the type evidenced in the team's second game at Blue Hills when the Lady Whalers scored 12 runs on 13 hits.

The carry over from last year's success is reflected in the junior varsity and middle school programs as well, where the turnout for both teams has been great. Assisting Maury again this year is Tom Pochman, while Rob Reid and Bill Ciarmataro coach the JVs and former varsity standout Adriene Harvey oversees the middle schoolers.

"The program looks very strong," Maury reports, reiterating how much he's looking forward to this campaign with the varsity.

"It's nice having the same nucleus back," he said. "It's also nice having such a good group of kids. They're just very nice kids. They like the game of softball and that really makes it fun and enjoyable."

Should be a fun weekend. First game is scheduled

for Friday afternoon at 3:15. I