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06/23/2016 12:00 AMThis year marked Chuck Reale’s 16th season as the head coach of Branford softball and he’d never seen one of his players post a batting average of more than .500 entering the campaign. Marisa Minore achieved that feat and then some this spring by pounding out 36 hits on her way to a .537 clip and All-Oronoque honors. And here’s the best part: She was only a sophomore.
Marisa grew up playing baseball in Branford and then joined the Connecticut Hornets AAU program in 8th grade. Competing at such high levels made Marisa a more-aggressive player and gave her head start for when she stepped on the high school diamond. She was even called up to the varsity club to do some pinch running as a freshman last year.
This season, Marisa, who plays center field for her AAU squad, took over as Branford’s shortstop and was productive at the plate from the get-go. As the weather got hotter, so did Marisa’s bat. She was moved from the sixth spot in the order to the three hole and put together a ridiculous stretch that saw her go 17-for-20 in one week.
When the dust cleared, Marisa’s .537 average was complemented by an .835 slugging percentage on the strength of her seven doubles and five triples. On top of that, she scored 20 runs, drove home 14, and struck out just seven times in 67 at-bats.
“As a whole, I would say it was an unbelievable season. It was full of laughs and hard work and just a lot of support from everybody—my teammates, my mom and dad, my family and friends. I just think it was an overall great season and I had a great time playing,” Marisa says. “I think I exceeded expectations. I wish we had won more, obviously, but besides that, I was happy with the way I played.”
One of the ways Marisa exceeded her expectations was by being named one of Oronoque Division’s top players. Marisa says her main goal was to start on the Hornets’ varsity squad and she fulfilled that mission in short order. After Branford’s last game, Marisa was blown away when Coach Reale read the news that she’d played her way to a spot on the All-Oronoque Team.
“I was totally not expecting that. That wasn’t even one of my goals at all, but I’m glad it happened,” says Marisa, who’s also played varsity for Branford’s volleyball and basketball teams since her freshman year. “I really did work hard throughout the whole season and pushed myself all the time. I’m really proud and honored that it happened. I couldn’t be any more grateful for that.”
Reale says that Marisa’s prowess at the plate is largely a product of her quick hands, a fluid swing, and great discipline that enables her to get the pitch she wants. Reale was impressed with how well Marisa swung the bat, in addition to the overall attitude she brought to his squad.
“Marisa has great instincts on where a pitch will go and where she’ll take it for a hit. If we had people on, she was going to plate somebody. If that was the situation we were in, we wanted Marisa at the plate,” Reale says. “This is a kid that works hard every single day and is a great team player who’s very vocal, very selfless, and very coachable. She still has work to do defensively, but she’s always open in terms of what we need her to do. Marisa is wiser beyond her years and what stands out for me is how selfless she is. She’d make an out and then say to the next kid, ‘C’mon, let’s go!’ She’s very positive and supportive of the other players.”
The Hornets’ came up two wins shy of a State Tournament berth this year, although they played better down the stretch and won their final four games. One of those was a 6-4 triumph over Sheehan that avenged an 11-2 loss to the Titans just three days earlier. The victory came in the midst of Marisa’s 17-for-20 surge and she contributed by going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, and four RBI.
“We lost to them and it was a very rough game and, the second time we played them, I was completely determined to just rip them apart,” Marisa says. “There were girls on the bases and I pelted the balls into the outfield. There was no stopping. I wanted to beat Sheehan so bad.”
Marisa praises her teammates for playing a great game that day and feels that the way the Hornets bonded as the campaign unfolded was integral in their improvement.
“In the first half, we weren’t connected as a team and that was a big part of our problem. We weren’t playing as a team. In the second half, we played together and for each other; not just ourselves,” she says. “I think we just brought that spark to the end and that made us have a fantastic last week of our season.”
As one of several promising underclass athletes on the Hornets, Marisa’s excited about what her high school future holds. On a personal level, she wants to repeat her All-Oronoque bid and vie for All-State accolades. In terms of her team, Marisa feels confident that Branford can return to postseason play in 2017.
“I personally believe we will make the State Tournament next year because of the strong bond some of us have developed. At the end, we kind of brought that whole family team thing and we really worked together and I think that will benefit us a lot for next year if we carry that over,” says Marisa. “I think what needs to be done is a lot of hard work and commitment in the offseason and during the season. We have to put what our coach tells us into effect, make the plays, and be confident in ourselves and each other.”