BY MATT STOUT
It was probably the only time the weather has helped a team this spring.
Stuck inside the school and outside the state tournament scene, members of the John Stark softball team were faced with another rained out practice a few weeks ago.
At the time, the Generals were searching for a spark, some consistency. Usually, that takes some time on the diamond. But that’s not a luxury the Generals had.
“It was thundering and lightning out, and we couldn’t really practice,” said Stark pitcher Alexe Proctor. “So we all just kind of sat down and talked and listened to stories. That really helped pull us together.”
The connection that started that day has translated into better play of late as they fight for a Class I playoff spot. Though it dropped, 3-0, to Bow on Monday, May 21, Stark entered a match-up at Lebanon on Wednesday, May 23, at 4-9 with an outside shot at claiming the tournament’s No. 16 seed.
The Generals put themselves in that position by winning three of their previous six, handing top-ranked Merrimack Valley its only loss thus far and nearly nipping Bishop Brady – a team that whipped Stark, 11-1, the week prior – in a 3-2 loss on the road on Friday, May 18.
The pitching, perhaps Stark’s biggest strength, has been an obvious catalyst. Morgan Belanger took the victory in the 5-1 win over MV a week after Emily Sweeney one-hit Kearsarge in a 12-3 win on May 7. Proctor, in her second start of the year, continued to deal against Brady, striking out 10 while working out of trouble in several situations.
Yet, the Generals have also been doing the small things, coach Zack Medlock said, and those, as much as anything else, have Stark in line for its first postseason berth in two years.
“We’re putting our bunts down more. We’re talking more with each other. We’re communicating,” Medlock said. “We’re starting to understand each other a little bit better, and I think that’s key.
We’re playing more as a unit than individuals, but it takes some time for everyone to get on the same page as one another and understand what we do.”
That includes better defense. Beaten by inconsistent fielding earlier in the year, Stark committed just one gaffe against Brady, a far cry from the 15 it committed through its first four games. The infield has looked more comfortable handling everything from routine grounders to squeeze plays.
“The big thing was they were covering the bunt well,” said Brady coach Shawn Brechtel, whose team is eyeing a top-10 seed in the tournament. “I noticed last time they had some trouble (with that), and we did that a lot. And today everyone was moving on the infield. I don’t know what he’s done with their defense or if they just started playing together more often, but it looks like they’re doing well.”
On offense, Stark has also found some consistency. With senior Sarah Lloyd providing a constant threat on the base paths – she swiped two bases against Brady – the Generals have enjoyed production up and down their lineup, with Taylor Buxton and Becca Morin scoring Friday off hits from No. 8 hitter Abby Sullivan and clean-up hitter Kelsey Francher.
Combined with their obvious momentum, if the Generals beat Kearsarge again in their regular-season finale on Friday, May 25, they have the ingredients to perhaps surprise someone in the playoffs.
“Oh yeah, we can do some damage,” Proctor said, before adding with a smile, “if we can get there.”