Guardians Softball Swinging For Fences

GHS senior Molly Doherty jumps for joy after hitting a home run during the team’s 16-2 victory over Northwest Catholic at GHS last Wednesday.

As the temperatures rise, the Glastonbury High School softball bats are also heating up.

After starting the season with four losses in six games, the Guardians have reeled off five straight victories, capped by a 16-2 win over Northwest Catholic on April 26. 

Rayah Snyder, Lily Woodworth, and Molly Doherty each hit a home run as the team surpassed the 10-run mark for the fifth consecutive game. 

“In the beginning of the season we were trying to figure some things out, but I feel like we’ve got the groove down now,” said Snyder, a team captain who finished with three runs and drove in three others in the 14-run win. “I think we are really comfortable with each other now.”

Junior Gabby Lambert and freshman Bella Derench combined to pitch a four-hitter, striking out ten. 

Derench has made an immediate impact as a first-year player, splitting her time between third base and as a relief pitcher.
Head coach Karen Costes said Derench is excelling on the mound and is a “very mature hitter.”
 
“Some kids just have a knack for hitting the ball and she has that knack for hitting the ball,” added Costes. “She has some plate discipline that you don’t typically see at that age.” 
 
Costes’ one-two pitching punch has replaced all-state pitcher Brooke Tracy, a 2022-graduate who is now pitching collegiately at Bryant University.   

Another new addition to the Guardians is Woodworth, a baseball player that moved over to softball this spring.

Costes, who was also a baseball player that shifted her focus to softball during her playing days, said that Woodworth has made the transition with ease. 

In the win over Northwest Catholic, Woodworth connected on three hits, driving in three runs and scoring three more. Through the first 11 games, she is hitting .667, which ranks as the 10th best hitting percentage in the state. 

“She has been wonderful to have,” Costes said of Woodworth, a junior. “She is wrecking the ball and she works so hard.”

Last Monday, Woodworth also smacked three hits in the team’s 24-2 victory over Hall High School in West Hartford. The 24 runs were a season-high as junior Nabia Crawford led the offensive explosion, scoring four runs on three hits. 

With the addition of Woodworth and the development of the first-year and returning players, Costes said she believes the team’s lineup from top to bottom is stronger than a year ago when the team won 18 of 20 regular season games.

Snyder agreed, adding, “Our hitting has been a big focus for us this season and we started out a little rough, but these last five games we’ve really hammered it home and we’ve been seeing the ball really well.”

Snyder, a University of Connecticut softball commit, said that the chemistry off the field has led to more production on the field.   

“Everyone on the team is lifting each other up,” added Snyder, who is one of three seniors, joining Doherty and Natalie Lessard as the Guardians most experienced voices.   

Next up is a road game this Friday, May 5 at Newington High School.  First pitch is 4 p.m.

The game with Newington is part of a five-game road trip before the Guardians return home to play Conard at GHS on Wednesday, May 10 at 3:45 p.m.

Costes said that ‘consistency” will be the key to keeping the momentum going. 

​“Our bats have started to come back and defensively we have been strong the whole year,” added Costes. “We just need to sharpen and fine tune a few things and keep up the intensity in practice.”