The CT Softball Blog

FAIRFIELD—Allie Tournas is a winner.

Period.

In her high school career, as the now-fourth year starting catcher for the tradition-rich Fairfield Ludlowe softball program, Tournas has helped lead the Falcons to a 75-8 overall record, three straight FCIAC championships (the Falcons won another one the year before Tournas arrived on campus, giving the program four straight league titles) and two straight CIAC Class LL championships, as well.

Last spring, after Ludlowe defeated Cheshire, 3-2, in 10 innings for the state’s big school crown, Tournas was also named the championship game’s MVP for everything she did to help the Falcons win.

“She’s one of those kids that you have to watch consistently to understand how good she is,” Ludlowe coach Adam Laliberte said. “Here’s a word that gets overused a bit: Competitor. Allie is more than that, though. She’s just a winner.”

That was Laliberte’s message to every college coach he spoke to during Tournas’ recruiting process.

“When college coaches called me and asked me about Allie, that’s what I told them,” Laliberte said. “If you want a player who bring a winning edge to your program, that’s Allie. She does everything right.”

The result is now official as Tournas will take her team-first winning attitude and her work ethic to another winning program—Division 2 Wilmington University of Delaware, which won 46 games last spring and qualified for the NCAA tournament.

“The coaching staff had a big play in it,” Tournas said. “When I got the school, I felt welcomed. I watched them scrimmage in a fall game and the energy was just great and the family atmosphere that I felt was just nice. I felt the atmosphere and that competitive drive, but at the same time it was a family and loving environment.”

The fact that Tournas will be leaving one successful program for another is not lost on her. She knows full well, she will have to start proving herself all over again and is excited to do so.

“It’s a competitive team and program,” Tournas said. “I’m excited for that, but I know I will have to work for my spot which I know as a freshman will be difficult. I just want to prove myself.”

That’s exactly what Tournas did at Fairfield Ludlowe, stepping into the starting role as a freshman and becoming a fixture behind the plate.

Her first year with the Falcons, Tournas was surrounded by a special group of players—many of whom took their games to the collegiate level, including her older sister Katie (St. Anselm College).

“Allie comes in as a freshman, she’s the only catcher we have, and we started her as this ninth grader with all these D-1 commits, her sister Katie; we just had this star-studded team,” Laliberte said. “I was concerned. Two weeks in, we weren’t worried anymore. She does every little thing and doesn’t ask for any accolades.”

She found her way to the softball for one reason: Because her older sister Katie played.

“Honestly, without her, I definitely wouldn’t have started softball,” Allie said. “I wanted to copy everything she was doing. I look up to her so much in so many senses, and I don’t think I’d ever say that to her face. But even as a person I can’t express how much she’s done for me. She’s definitely a big part of my life, both in softball and out of softball.”

She started her softball career in town, playing for the CT Fury. She soon jumped to the CT Impact, a program she has stayed with ever since.

Laliberte coaches her in the Impact program, as well.

The two have developed a very unique coach-player relationship over the years.

“I think it’s the connection I have with him. He’s kind of been there since day one,” Tournas said. “He’s always believed in me, even at times when he shouldn’t have. Just being able to be straight up with him, even at that age. We built trust between each other.”

“In my 21 years of coaching, I don’t think I’ve ever had a kid where I can be on the same wavelength as with her,” Laliberte said. “Her mental acuity is why we get along so well, her understanding of the mental component of the game. She’s as loyal as it gets. It’s like we have this brother-sister relationship. We spat and argue and go back and forth. It’s kind of funny.”

But Laliberte knows his catcher can play and she has proven tiem and time again over her career.

By the time she got to high school, Allie Tournas was ready; even if others didn’t think it was her time quite yet.

“Definitely when I entered Ludlowe, I knew there were high expectations,” Tournas said. “Obviously, I was nervous. But the culture we have at Ludlowe is just so good. They always have your back. The upperclassmen believe in you, and they want to see you improve.”

Over three years of proving herself, however, Tournas is now ready for the next step of her high school career; something Laliberte feels is vital to the program’s future.

“For her, the biggest thing is she’s kind of in a pay-it-forward position now,” Laliberte said. “She’s committed, that weight is off her shoulders. There’s not pressure on her at all. She’s had a ton of success and now is the time to pay it forward. What can you do as a senior to pay it forward, to help keep building that culture we have developed here. I have so much confidence in her.”

It’s easy to have confidence in Allie Tournas, though.

After all, she’s proven herself to be a winner time and time again.

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