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04/24/2022 12:00 AMAfter winning just four games last year, the Hand softball team is back with a vengeance with new Head Coach Mike Ferraiolo in the 2022 season. The Tigers have already topped their win total from 2021 with an early record of 5-2 this spring, and Coach Ferraiolo feels confident that more good things are in store for his club as the campaign unfolds.
Ferraiolo has served as an assistant coach with the Hand football team for the past 12 years. As he begins his tenure with the softball squad, Ferraiolo wants to grow the program from top to bottom, while providing some stability for the Tigers.
“We are looking to rebuild our program from Little League to varsity,” Coach Ferraiolo said. “The expectations of our program are to focus on our dugout. We are in control of how hard we work, our emotions, and our response to adversity. But coming in and reviewing the team’s 2021 stats and record, I can see this was a team that needed stability. Our seniors have now played for three head coaches and missed a season due to COVID. That is not easy for a young athlete. I’m here to make sure they finish their career at Hand on a high note.”
Hand gained a split of last week’s games by earning a win versus Hamden and then taking a loss to Foran. The Tigers began their week by claiming a 6-5 victory at Hamden on April 18. Hand and the Green Dragons were knotted 4-4 heading into the top of the sixth inning, when freshman Alexa Young singled home a run to give the Tigers a 5-4 advantage. Hand added an insurance run in the inning and went on to get the one-run win.
Young went 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBI for the Tigers, while freshman Isabel Bowler also hit a homer in the game. Freshman Erin Cerny also went 2-for-4 for Hand. Freshman Grace Hall pitched all 7 innings in the victory, allowing 3 earned runs on 8 hits to go with 7 strikeouts.
“We were able to snatch the lead late against Hamden. Grace battled in the pitcher’s circle and really did a great job for us,” said Ferraiolo. “Credit also goes to Alexa for giving us the lead late.”
Four days later, Hand hosted Foran took an 11-0 loss to the Lions. Cerny and sophomore Reese Ciecko had the only two hits for the Tigers in the game.
“We fell behind early in this one and couldn’t come back,” Ferraiolo said. “We struggled to contain Foran’s high-powered offense and couldn’t get anything going for ourselves offensively.”
Hand is being led by senior captains Megan Hart, Lilly Perry, and Carly Brasky this season. Hart is a catcher, Perry plays center field, and Brasky holds it down at shortstop for the Tigers. Hart, who will be playing field hockey at Bryant University in the fall, was an All-SCC Second Team honoree for the softball team last year.
“Megan can play any position on the softball field. She is extremely motivated and a very hard worker,” said Ferraiolo of Hart. “Lilly can become the best center fielder in the state of Connecticut. She can track the ball better than anyone I have seen before. Carly has been a top player in our program since Little League. She has played infield and pitcher. Right now, Carly is settling into her shortstop position very nicely.”
Coach Ferraiolo also feels optimistic about the contributions of Hall and Young as members of Hand’s freshman class. Hall is the Tigers’ starting pitcher, while Young plays third base and also sees some time behind the plate as a catcher.
“Grace is an extremely hard worker. She works before practice, after practice, and even on her days off. Her passion for her position is unmatched by anyone. She wants to be the best she can be for herself and, most of all, her team,” Coach Ferraiolo said of Hall. “Alexa is another very versatile player and has become our best offensive performer. Right now, she has a .562 batting average. Normally, you will find her batting in the No. 3 or 4, spot but with a young team, she has found herself as a leadoff hitter and the table setter for our offense.”
Ferraiolo plans on working hard alongside his players as Hand pursues a spot in the playoffs this year. Ferraiolo wants to help his athletes realize their potential and exceed their own expectations on the ballfield.
“Every season, I need to give everything that I am to my student-athletes, because that’s what I ask of them,” said Ferraiolo. “My other goals are to continue to learn the game of softball, grow the softball program in our community, and get my athletes to believe in themselves and dare to do great things that they once thought were impossible.”
Hand’s junior class for the 2022 season includes Emma Demetrio and Annie Goodrich. The other sophomores on the team are Katherine Fiorelli, Meghan O’Keefe, Ella D’Urso, and Ella Durso. The Tigers’ freshman class also features Bowler, Clare Berry, Erin Cerny, Taylor Ferraiolo, Biance Pasquinelli, and Stacy Jocyce Tagen Kuate.
Ferriaolo has been coaching football for past 23 years, spending more than half of that time on the Hand sidelines. Now that he’s in the Tigers’ dugout, Ferraiolo is excited to be leading the program into a new era and already feels a tremendous wave of support from the Madison softball community.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to coach this softball team,” Ferraiolo said. “The softball community in this town has welcomed me with open arms and, for that, I am very grateful.”