Under the young and talented leadership of Captain Stephanie Clegg ’08, the Andover Girls Varsity Softball team heads into a demanding spring season hopeful for success. Last season, the team finished with a record of fourteen wins and four losses. The girls battled through every game and kept good spirits even when they failed to win. Head Coach Peter Drench hopes to lead the team through the season and fight for every possible win, working with Captain Clegg to create vital team chemistry. The preliminary try-outs were held in the few weeks before spring break, but the final cuts did not occur until players returned this week. Currently, the team consists of about 17 members, but some players may play on both the Varsity and JV squads in order to get playing time. While the team graduated some key players, many returning Uppers carry the team this year. Uppers Captain Clegg, infielder Emily Cokorinos, outfielder Nicole Duddy, pitcher Veda Eswarappa, outfielder Sara Ho, outfielder Kelci Thomasco, and outfielder Lauren Shevlin return to the team this season. Lindsey Maroney ’07 is the only Senior on the team, although her quick speed and amazing aggressiveness will prove vital to Andover’s success. Returner Sarah Boylan ’09 commented on the potential of the team, “Although we have yet to make final cuts, it looks as if we are going to do very well this season. We lost some talent from last year, but we have some new players that will definitely contribute to our success. As long as we avoid errors and keep our bats alive, I think we could go a long way.” Andover will play in a hefty total of 17 games. The girls will work hard towards its final game against Exeter. The team hopes to win the Big East Prep Invitational on home turf. The eight-team, double-elimination competition held on the third weekend in May will be the highlight of the season. Andover’s first game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Andover. The girls will play against the UNH Softball Club and hope to secure an early win.
