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04/25/2016 12:00 AMThe Hand softball team has shown that it can hang with the SCC’s elite in recent years. This spring, the Tigers are ready to prove that more than ever with a tough schedule that will leave them battle tested for the postseason.
Head Coach Mike Niekrash’s bunch comes off a 2015 campaign that saw the Tigers go 12-8 in the regular season before losing in the first rounds of both the SCC and Class LL tournaments. Hand came into this year with a fiery focus on a deeper playoff push and, through the first seven games of the campaign, the Tigers sport a record of 4-3 after having clashed against several of the state’s top squads—something that Niekrash knows can pay off exponentially when the second season comes around.
“So far this year, I’ve been very happy with the team. The biggest problem will be our schedule because we have almost half of our games against teams ranked in the state’s top 10, but we’ve been competitive in every game,” said Coach Niekrash, referring to the GameTime CT/New Haven Register
Top 10 Softball Poll as of April 18. “And I’m not complaining because there’s no room for error and we are capable of beating anyone. It’s a very challenging schedule, but I know this team has championship capabilities.”
The Tigers took on 8th-ranked Amity at home on April 18 and gave the Spartans a close call in dropping a 2-0 decision. Senior co-captain shortstop Alli Buller had a double for Hand, which was limited to three hits. Amity did all of its damage by scoring two runs in the fourth inning.
Two days later, Hand took a hard-fought 11-8 loss to division rival Foran to move to 1-1 in Hammonasset action. The Lions jumped ahead 4-1 heading to the fifth before a four-run frame by the Tigers gave them the lead at 5-4. However, Foran responded with six in its half of the fifth. Hand sent three across home plate in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough.
Hand then closed out the week on a high note by earning a 7-5 win at No. 2-ranked East Haven on April 22 to get over the .500 mark at 4-3. Sophomore Sophie Schreck had four hits and an RBI, plus senior Sam Pavano hit a home run. Sophomore hurler Abby Geshwind earned the win in the circle.
“We just couldn’t get that big hit today. We’ve had to replace some All-State players in [pitcher] Katie Omdahl and [catcher] Mel Rennie, but we’ve had some young pitchers that have done a good job so far,” said Niekrash of the Amity defeat. “Versus the teams we should beat, we score a lot of runs. It’s just that we’ve faced some good pitchers. We have to be able to bunt and get those clutch hits against them. Yet we are playing well,and a big key to our team so far has been our defense, which has been outstanding.”
Buller, who hits sixth in the order and has committed to the University of Maryland, has been joined in the captain’s seat this season by senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Madeline Yaggi, who’s going to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Thus far, both athletes have proved lynchpins to the Tigers’ lineup thanks to both their bats and their speed.
“Alli has done a great job so far as our leading hitter. She is also an excellent fielder and great student,” Niekrash said. “Madeline is very fast and she sets the table for our offense.”
Going through the Tigers’ lineup, junior UConn commit Hollis Wivell is in the No. 2 hole, Schreck bats third while patrolling the hot corner on defense, junior catcher and 2015 All-Hammonasset selection Lily Geshwind is in the cleanup spot, and fellow All-Division honoree and second baseman Pavano hits fifth. Batting seventh is senior Abby Fedus in right, junior first baseman Kaitlyn Martin hits eighth, and the ninth spot will be shared by dueling sophomore hurlers in Geshwind and Caroline Schreck, along with senior designated hitter Clare Gravina.
“Hollis is one of our best players, while Sophie has done a great job in the field and with her batting. Lily moved from third base last season to now catching. She is a talented hitter and fielder, plus she is a real team leader,” Coach Niekrash said. “Sam has always been a clutch hitter for us and one of the best second basemen I’ve coached. Abby has done outstanding defensively and has started to come around with her hitting. Kaitlyn has also been outstanding defensively. Abby and Caroline have split the pitching duties and have done great so far.”
Hand, which has moved from Class LL to L for the state playoffs this spring, knows that it will have to reclaim its divisional throne from a year ago for an automatic path into the SCC Tournament. Once in the postseason, it’s anyone’s game as the Tigers have the potential to play the role of spoiler against a favorite and then contend at the conference and state levels.
“Our goals are lofty. We’d like to win our division, especially since it’s the last year of that division [prior to the SCC’s realignment for 2017]. We also want to qualify for SCCs and, with the schedule we have, that may be our only way in,” said Niekrash. “I really enjoy coaching this team. We have some real good chemistry with nice kids here. I feel we have a good chance to win our division. Once we get into SCCs, I feel no one may want to play us and the same goes for states. We will be battle tested with these games, yet we will be difficult in the postseason if we can get there.”
From the Sidelines
Mike Niekrash is back for his eighth season as the skipper of Hand softball alongside varsity assistant Sue Leckey, who’s also the head coach of Tigers’ field hockey, plus JV coach Marypat Maloney.
The Tigers won the SCC Hammonasset title last season with a divisional mark of 7-1.
Prior to this past week, Hand defeated Lauralton Hall (2-1 on April 6), Guilford (9-3 on April 11), and Branford (12-2 on April 15), and also lost to Cheshire (7-1 on April 8).