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08/12/2022 10:28 AMLauren Ackerman’s senior season with the North Branford softball team saw her earn the role of captain while garnering All-Shoreline Conference honors as she helped the Thunderbirds claim their seventh-straight league title. Lauren’s love for softball flourished during her time with the T-Birds, and now the star center fielder is preparing to continue her career at the University of Hartford.
Lauren started playing softball in North Branford’s recreational league at the age of eight. Prior to competing, Lauren and her neighbor Drew Girardi, a fellow North Branford student, spent time throwing together and hitting back-and-forth in the yard. Once she started competing, Lauren realized that she had a passion for softball and wanted to take the sport seriously.
“I really knew I had a passion for it. I felt so comfortable. I was able to explore what position I wanted to play,” says Lauren. “I played everywhere, and I found I loved being in the outfield. I wanted to start playing travel.”
Lauren began competing on the travel softball circuit when she was 11. She was a member of the Shoreline Sting for three years before joining the Connecticut Gators for one year. Lauren also played for the Connecticut Hornets for several years and recently took part in her final tournament with the program following her senior season at North Branford.
“I was able to see a variety of pitching and how competitive people can be. All the girls that play travel all want to win,” says Lauren. “We understand what it’s like to be competitive. We all came together and did that.”
Lauren patrolled the outfield as she worked her way up from the youth level to travel ball to high school. She eventually settled into center field as a senior. Lauren always felt comfortable in the outfield. When she’s in center, Lauren is constantly communicating with her corner outfielders and middle infielders to make sure that everyone is in the right spot.
Lauren joined the North Branford softball program as a freshman, playing for the JV team and also doing some pinch-running duties with the varsity squad. Lauren was well-versed the prestige of the Thunderbirds as she began her high school career. In her first season, Lauren wanted to show everyone that she belonged on the varsity diamond.
“At first, I was a little nervous. I knew the team was competitive, because I saw all the wins we got prior,” Lauren says. “Once I got in to pinch run or play JV, I wanted to prove that I can be in certain situations.”
Lauren became the starting right fielder for North Branford’s varsity team in her junior season. Lauren felt excited to take on a regular varsity role and, while there were still some more nerves, she gained confidence knowing that her teammates always had her back. Lauren also picked up slap hitting as a junior and continued using that approach during her senior campaign.
Lauren finished her senior year with a .360 batting average with 32 hits, 33 runs scored, 8 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. At the end of the season, Lauren was presented with All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention and felt proud to receive that distinction.
Lauren helped the Thunderbirds capture their seventh-consecutive Shoreline title by notching a
7-2 victory versus Old Lyme in this year’s conference final. After North Branford lost of first three games of the season, Lauren felt like a lot of people were counting out the T-Birds, and they all wanted to prove the doubters wrong.
“We knew all the other teams wanted to beat us. Since we lost our first three games, teams thought North Branford wasn’t going to make it this year,” says Lauren. “It bothered us. We wanted to prove everyone wrong. We kept thinking it was the championship game.”
Along with her growth on the field, Lauren also became more of a leader as a senior. That was never more apparent than when Lauren volunteered to catch for North Branford’s JV team during the middle of the season. The T-Birds’ JV catcher had suffered an injury, and the team didn’t have enough people to play. Lauren volunteered to put on the catcher’s gear and serve as the JV squad’s backstop for the rest of the contest.
Head Coach Nick DeLizio named Lauren as one of North Branford’s captains shortly after that game. DeLizio made the announcement during a team meeting, and everyone on the squad was clapping for Lauren, making her feel appreciated. As she grew into her leadership role, Lauren’s goal was to ensure that any new players on the club always felt welcomed.
“I was able to become more of a leader. As a freshman, I was intimidated by all the seniors. I wanted all the underclassmen to feel comfortable,” Lauren says. “It’s OK if you make a mistake. We want all the softball girls to feel like a family.”
Coach DeLizio noticed Lauren’s growth as a leader and believes that her leadership proved crucial as T-Birds defended their Shoreline Conference title and then reached the Class S state final. In addition to Lauren’s work as the team’s center fielder and leadoff hitter, DeLizio says that the senior captain always did her best to uplift her teammates while displaying a selfless attitude on the field.
“Lauren brought a lighter side to the team. She was very inviting and approachable to her teammates. She played fearlessly and loved to compete,” says DeLizio. “Lauren was always able to make the team laugh. She played unselfishly and showed leadership qualities throughout the season.”
Lauren will be attending the University of Hartford to continue her softball career and pursue a degree in radiology. When she began playing softball, Lauren never imagined that she would be competing at the collegiate level. However, as she played the sport more, Lauren started to dream about being a college softball player. Now, following a great four-year career at North Branford, Lauren’s dream has come to fruition.
“I knew I wanted to play in college after playing for so long. But when I first started, I didn’t think I would play in college,” Lauren says. “It was something I would have enjoyed doing. Now that I’m able to actually play in college, it’s like a dream come true.”
As she looks forward to playing softball in college, Lauren won’t be forgetting her tenure with the North Branford softball program anytime soon. Lauren has been part of several championship teams and is eager to watch the T-Birds continue winning for years to come.
“We have had the success, and we can still have the success,” says Lauren. “I’m going to come out and support the girls. I’m going to come back for their games and just to see them whenever I can.”