Hopedale Softball Poised for another Tournament Run

Over the past three years, the Hopedale varsity softball team has accumulated a standout regular season record of 49-10 while consistently earning qualifying bids to play in the Division 3 Central District Tournament. Having made it to the Semi Final round in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the Blue Raiders were finally able to capture their first District Title in nineteen years in the 2015 season.
Last year, Hopedale recorded another successful regular season amassing a 16-3 record and earning the top seed in the tournament. However, a disappointing loss in the first round ended the season prematurely. Heading into the 2017 season, Head Coach Shanna Lathrop and this year’s squad look to avenge that tournament loss by putting together another solid regular season that gets them back into the tournament for another run.
Hopedale only lost two girls to graduation, so the team is in a relatively good position coming into the 2017 season. Returning are last year’s battery mates of senior pitcher Julia Alberto and sophomore catcher Taylor Goldstein. Alberto enters her second year as the team’s starting pitcher and one of the team’s captains, while Goldstein takes her position behind the plate with a year of varsity experience now behind her.
“Julia has a lot of different pitches that keep hitters off balance; it’s probably her biggest asset,” the Lathrop said. “Taylor calls most of the game herself which is quite impressive for a sophomore. I like to get involved with the play calling, but being the only coach there is so much going on I can’t always do it so having her there is great.”
The infield is led by Senior captain Katie Koller who begins her fourth year in the varsity starting line-up and her third year as the team’s third baseman. Katie is recognized as being a smart athlete whose play at the hot corner is both solid and consistent. At the plate, she does a real good job of driving the ball and moving runners along. Koller also serves as the team’s secondary pitcher.
Another senior captain who Lathrop will look to help carry the team is Jordan Wilson, who is one of the team’s power hitters having batted in the four and five spots last season. She will be relied upon to continue to provide the team with extra base hits on a regular basis.
The outfield is anchored by returning center fielder Kathleen Maloney who is quick and can effectively read the ball off the bat. At the plate, the sophomore has the ability to play small ball, but does possess power to hit the ball. The rest of the outfield play is made up of senior Julia Holt and senior captain Catherine Clement
Heading into the 2017 season, Coach Lathrop sees her team captains’ (Alberto, Koller, Wilson and Clement) ability to deliver their expertise on the field as being the key to having another successful campaign in a tough Dual Valley Conference.
“Our main goal is to take control of the league and capture another title (Hopedale won the Dual Valley Conference Championship in 2015 and tied with Nipmuc last year), said Lathrop. “Once that is complete we should be playing good ball as we enter the tournament and this year should be a different outcome.”
Last spring after earning that top seed in the Division 3 Central Tournament Hopedale fell on hard times mainly due to the fact that the majority of the squad didn’t have that tournament experience. The only remaining players from the 2015 District Title team are Katie Koller and Jordan Wilson.
“We’re still a young team, but they have worked hard and dedicated themselves to winning,” the Lathrop said. “Last year we had three freshman playing fulltime with no real experience, this year as sophomores they do which puts us in a much better place.”
Hopedale is once again hoping to have a successful campaign within the DVC and ride that wave into the tournament; this year with a much better experience.