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07/12/2018 12:00 AMTaylor Myers wanted to get more out of softball upon entering middle school, and so she began studying the craft of being a pitcher. This spring, Taylor made the circle her home and proved a steady arm for the East Haven softball squad.
Taylor was an outfielder when she started playing softball in 5th grade, after which she took up pitching lessons during 7th grade. In her recent junior season, the left-hander had a breakout campaign on the bump by finishing with a record of 6-3 to go with 47 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. Taylor was also selected to compete in the Junior Select All-Star Game on behalf of the Yellowjackets, who notched 14 victories, including one in both the SCC and Class M State tournaments.
“I had more confidence on the mound this year. I also pushed myself more. I threw in my yard no matter the weather,” Taylor says. “As a pitcher, you have to rely on the team, but also yourself. You have to throw to get productive outs, so I just focus on getting the pitches down.”
Taylor was one of three pitchers who contributed to East Haven’s success this season, starting games in a rotation that also featured senior Selena Mauro and freshman Tori Heapy. Taylor has developed a nice array of pitches throughout her high-school career, and she knows which one to use at the right time to get out of a jam.
“I’ve been working on my two-seam fastball and getting it on the inside right-hand corner to get more pop-ups. I also developed a curveball this year,” says Taylor. “I also love throwing a changeup on the first pitch. I also have a dropball I use consistently, and I’m working on a screwball.”
Taylor embraces the mentality that’s required to thrive as a pitcher. She likes having the ball in her hand at all times, while setting the tempo for the day.
“I love being a pitcher. I feel like a leader out there and I have control of the pace of the game,” she says. “I love being in control. I wanted more action in the game and to show leadership.”
One of Taylor’s shining moments this season came when she threw a perfect game against Hillhouse on May 8. Two years ago, Taylor came up one out short of tossing a perfect game. This time, she finished it off by making sure she was locked in and focused for the entire outing.
“I just wanted to pitch the best that I could that day, and I just started working,” says Taylor. “I was one walk away from throwing a perfect game my freshman year, so I wanted to do it. I worked hard and didn’t let anything get in my head that day.”
East Haven Head Coach Ed Crisafi says that Taylor’s selfless attitude helped her earn the title of team captain for the Yellowjackets in 2019. Crisafi adds that Taylor, who allowed only 1.5 walks per game this year, is an efficient southpaw who makes the most of her movement.
“I saw her pitch in middle school, so I knew we had something special coming up. Taylor has the mindset of always putting the team first, and she never gets upset about not pitching every game. She’s always there for teammates, and all those reasons are why I elected her as a captain for next year,” Crisafi says. “She’s not a strikeout pitcher, but she hits her spots. She has three or four pitches she can use at any time and hits her corners.”
The Yellowjackets will have some big voids to fill entering next season. However, Taylor feels confident that East Haven can put the right pieces in place to secure another postseason berth.
“It will be sort of a rebuilding year, but we have to find good starters,” says Taylor. “We graduate a lot of seniors from this year’s team, so our goals next year are to win as many games as we can and get past the first round of states.”