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05/07/2020 12:00 AMHeading into the seventh inning and trailing by a run, the East Haven softball team was looking for a comeback when it faced Hand in the first round of last year’s Class L State Tournament. With one on and one out, Becky Flynn stepped up to the plate for the Yellowjackets.
The first pitch of the at-bat was a ball. Another ball would follow. Then on the third pitch, Becky swung and hit a two-run home run over the right-center field fence. Becky’s blast gave East Haven a 4-3 victory and a big boost of momentum that took the team all the way to the championship game of the tournament.
“I was just looking for something to hit, a ball that came over the plate nicely, because it was the bottom of the seventh, and it was a huge game for us,” Becky says. “It really set in when I was rounding the bases and once I saw everybody jumping around, going crazy around the plate. Once I stepped on home plate and everyone jumped over me, that’s when it really hit.”
Following a solid 2019 campaign, Becky was named a senior captain for East Haven this year. Becky has been patrolling right field for the varsity team since her freshman season. She primarily pitched and played the infield prior to high school. Now, with three years under her belt, Becky says that right field is exactly where she wants to be.
“Freshman year, I was a little nervous in the outfield. I had never played it before. Some situations I wasn’t sure about,” says Becky. “Over the three years, I was able to not master, but build up that skill. I can read the ball great in right field. It’s my go-to. I know how much energy I need to reach certain bases.”
Along with her defensive prowess, Becky has also continued to get better at the plate throughout her high school career. Batting cleanup as a junior, Becky posted a .407 batting average with seven doubles, two triples, and three home runs. She also had 26 RBI to go with 26 runs scored for Head Coach Ed Crisafi’s squad.
“Becky has become a power hitter,” Crisafi says. “She hasn’t changed her batting style or anything. She has just gotten stronger. She has turned herself into a good hitter.”
Becky was named to the All-SCC Second Team for her performance in her junior season. Two of her goals when she joined the Yellowjackets were to hit a homer and make All-SCC. Becky considers it an achievement that she was able to reach both of those goals by her junior year.
Becky’s journey as an athlete actually started on the baseball field. When Becky was in kindergarten, her parents asked her if she wanted to try playing baseball, and Becky decided to give it a shot. Then when she was 10, Becky made the switch to softball.
From there, Becky competed for several different town and travel teams ranging from Cheshire to Branford. In 8th grade, Becky started playing for East Haven’s travel team, which is where she met Coach Crisafi. As she started high school, Becky’s experience playing for Crisafi made her decision to suit up for the Easties that much easier.
“I didn’t know anyone when I came to East Haven, but I knew him, and I was able to meet some of the girls who were already on the team who played in high school,” says Becky. “It’s been great playing with this team. We have such a strong bond. Everyone is like family, rather than just friendships. We share everything. We are all best friends. It’s great.”
Becky was selected as one of East Haven’s three captains heading into her senior year, joining fellow seniors Jillian Hay and Stephanie Sorrentino in that role. Becky says that being named a captain is “everything you could ever want,” and that she takes the responsibility of leading the team seriously.
After watching her improve through the past three seasons, Coach Crisafi says that naming Becky as one of his captains was an easy choice.
“The girls love her. They all look up to her,” says Crisafi. “Becky has a great personality. She leads by example in the weight room and on the field. She’s easy to talk to, just a consummate captain. She’s a perfect captain.”
As she awaits the word on any potential spring season, Becky has stayed active by practicing in her backyard and at a local park. She’s been working on hitting different pitch locations by swinging into a net.
Becky says that her ultimate goal in softball is to play at the collegiate level. Becky knows that hard work in practice is going to be essential if she wants to succeed as a senior or beyond.
“Being a softball athlete gives me a certain drive, a certain goal that you have in mind,” Becky says. “It’s obviously a team sport where the team wins, but you have individual successes. It’s great.”