Softball Makes History in First Game of Season

It was hard not to see the excitement from HHS softball coach Chuck Green after Hingham’s 13-8 win over Silver Lake on Tuesday afternoon.  For the first time in the program’s history, the Harborwomen beat the Lakers, a perennial powerhouse in the Patriot League.  In what’s been a long road to this point, the dedication and buy-in from the players is finally paying off.  

“I wasn’t going to come, but Jim asked me to come to give the program a lift,” Green recalls back to when AD Jim Quatromoni ask him to coach five years ago. “I remind them of the first year.  It was not competitive softball.  It was a phys-ed class.  What these kids have done to become competitive, to work hard.  They bought into the philosophy of hard work.  Six varsity players quit the first year.  We qualified for the tournament last year.  They have bought in to the work ethic and the enjoyment of playing the game well.”

That hard work and determination can be seen on the field.  Even though girls had to wait an extra week to start their season due to some scheduling and weather issues while other teams have already played two or three games, it didn’t take long for them to get back into the groove of playing softball.

Silver Lake jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after one inning, but the girls settled down and did what they do best, hit.  Down 5-1 going into the bottom of the third, the Harborwomen exploded for 10 runs, highlighted by junior Sarah Holler’s three-run home run.  Holler’s dinger came after she was hit in the head with a pitch her first at bat.  And after fouled off five pitches from a new pitcher, the early season Patriot League MVP candidate launched a shot to dead center over the fence.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time, baseball and softball, and she’s got to be one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen,” said Green. “She just crushes the ball.  She’s right on it.  She’s not intimidated by anyone.  She’s always makes great contact. Her swing is beautiful.  She was 2-2 against one of the best pictures in the league.”

While Holler is the anchor of the line-up, she’s not the only one who can make some noise at the plate.  Senior captains Halle Morton, Madison Aylward, and Amy Maffei long with juniors Bella Sullivan, Aisling Doyle, and Rachel O’Connor have been with the program for four years and can all hit.  Sophomore Jess Mulrey is starting her second season behind the plate and can smack the ball all over the field and freshman Kate Schulte has huge potential as the season gets going.  

“We can hit, we string them together,” Green said after the game. “Up and down the line-up.  We were also excellent defensively.  A little bit of a deer in the headlights early in the game, but they’re an outstanding defensive team.  So we can hit and we can play defense and our pitching is improving everyday.”

Senior captain Sally Clow pitched a great game right out of the shoot and freshman Bilyana Wilkin came in relief and closed out the game.  It was a full team effort to get the first win, of hopefully many more, of the season.  

The girls are back on the diamond Thursday at 4pm to take on Scituate at home.