BROCKTON, Mass. ---- The Massasoit Community College softball team is set to begin the 2015 season with a Spring Training trip in Myrtle Beach, S.C., competing in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.
The Warriors, coming off an 8-8 record from a season ago, will battle Henry Ford College (Dearborn, Mich.) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the season opener.
During the trip to South Carolina, Massasoit is slated to play six games over four days. In addition to Henry Ford, the Warriors will face Prairie State College (Chicago) and Louisburg College (Louisburg, N.C.).
Returners: C/3B Marrissa Spivey, RHP/DH Taylor Richards, SS Alex Pohl, OF/2B Ashley Pitts
Taylor Richards (Walpole) returns in the circle for second-year head coach Sandy Lombardi. The right-hander pitched every inning of every game for the Warriors in 2014, totaling 99 innings and 70 strikeouts over the span of 16 complete games.
Richards also provided some pop at the dish, hitting .346 with 15 RBI. When not pitching and serving as DH, Richards could also see time at third base.
In addition to having a familiar face in the circle, Lombardi should be strong up the middle with catcher Marrissa Spivey (Brockton), shortstop Alex Pohl (Middleboro), and second base man/center fielder Ashley Pitts (Rockland) back for a second go around with the Warriors.
Spivey will transition from being the everyday third baseman to behind the plate. The Brockton native saw time near the top of lineup as a freshman, hitting .321 with nine RBI.
Pohl is the incumbent at shortstop, hitting leadoff to the tune of a .293 average and finishing second on the team with 17 RBI and scored 15 runs a season ago.
Pitts really came on strong at the end of the year in 2014, providing a spark hitting primarily in the nine-hole. The sophomore could see action both at second base and in center field. During her freshman season, Pitts hit a robust .413, tying for team-high honors in RBI (18) and scoring 15 times.
Newcomers: 1B/RHP/OF Pamela Falcon, RHP/INF Angie Sacchetti, OF/2B Kelly Cronin, OF Sami Murray, OF Kristen Gardner
Lombardi welcomes five newcomers with hopes of adding more student-athletes to the roster.
Headlining the freshman is the versatile Pamela Falcon from the Dominican Republic. Falcon can play either corner infield position, catch and pitch for the Warriors after playing two seasons for the RBI Santo Dominican National Team.
The outfield could feature three freshmen in Cronin (Weymouth), Murray (Rockland) and Gardner (Rockland). Lombardi expects Cronin and Pitts to see time in both center and at second base, with Murray in right and Gardner in left.
Sacchetti (Weymouth) also provides versatility, being able to pitch and play the infield when Richards toes the rubber.
