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07/28/2019 12:00 AMThe Hand softball team knew that it had to grow as a group entering the 2019 season. The Tigers came away from the campaign as a much wiser and more experienced bunch after playing their best softball of the year during the latter half of the campaign.
Head Coach Mike Niekrash’s club traversed through the regular season with a record of 11-9 this spring. The Tigers qualified for the SCC Tournament as the No. 7 seed and took a 2-0 loss to eventual champion Cheshire in the quarterfinal round. Then in the Class L State Tournament, Hand was seeded 17th and lost a 4-3 decision against No. 16 seed and eventual runner-up East Haven to finish with an overall record of 11-11.
Coach Niekrash noted that the Tigers had to overcome the graduation of several key players from the previous year. However, Niekrash was pleased to see his team battle through the peaks and valleys in order to get the job done.
“There was no question we had an uphill road after graduating eight starters. We started 3-6, and then we got our pegs underneath us and won some games in a row,” said Niekrash. “We just got better as the year went on, and they really improved. We played the top-tier schedule in the SCC, so we had no softies, and I thought our two better games were the two postseason games, even though we lost.”
The Tigers showcased how much they had grown in a short span when they faced West Haven in a primetime matchup on the road. Hand knocked the Blue Devils from the ranks of the unbeatens by notching a 4-1 victory that night.
“That game against West Haven was our best of the year,” said Niekrash. “It was a night game at West Haven, and it was a defining moment for us to beat a team like that. It really gave us a lot of confidence going forward.”
Hand was led by senior captains Catherine Patrick and Grace Kuck this season. Patrick earned her spot as the starting shortstop after being called up from the JV ranks, while Kuck moved over to right field after having previously played in left field.
“They were the only two seniors, but Catherine became the starting shortstop and did a great job there,” Niekrash said. “Grace was a good player, and she had a solid year.”
Hand saw three athletes earn All-SCC accolades this season. Junior pitcher Christina Coric, junior center fielder Gina Ciotti, and sophomore second baseman Grace Hartmann were the Tigers’ All-Conference honorees, while Hartmann also made the New Haven Register’s All-Area Team. Patrick and junior third baseman Caroline O’Connor shared the Tiger Award on behalf of Coach Niekrash’s club.
Niekrash was proud to see his young team win 11 games while making the SCC and State tournaments this year. The skipper feels that even brighter days are ahead for the Tigers.
“This was one of the more satisfying years I’ve had here. The team really exceeded expectations. We really improved as the year went on,” said Niekrash. “They proved their mettle, and it was a fun team to coach. Next year, basically everyone returns, and they showed they can produce.”
The other athletes on the Tigers’ roster were juniors Pam Engelhart, Madalyn Curtis, and Jessica Murphy; sophomore Abby Cody; freshmen Megan Hart, Lillian Perry, Carly Brasky, Megan Mulhern, and Brooke Salutari.
From the Sidelines
In the regular season, Hand earned two wins over Mercy (6-5 and 5-3), Hillhouse (17-3 and 11-5), and Shelton (6-5 and 3-2) to go with one win apiece against Rocky Hill (11-0), East Lyme (4-1), Law (6-2), Guilford (9-5), and West Haven (4-1).
The Tigers took two losses to Lauralton Hall (7-5 and 7-6), North Haven (11-2 and 17-1), and Cheshire (9-2 and 16-7), and also lost games against Law (5-1), Guilford (5-2), and West Haven (8-6).
This was Mike Niekrash’s 12th season as the Tigers’ head coach. Dave Buller (varsity assistant) and Mary Pat Maloney (JV head coach) were the team’s assistant coaches.
Hand competed in the SCC Quinnipiac Division with West Haven, Law, Shelton, and Hillhouse this season. The Tigers went 6-2 in the division and finished in second place.