The CT Softball Blog

MIDDLEFIELD—As CT Thunder 16U batter Maegan DeBernardis strolled to the plate during the second game of a travel tournament on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon, the right fielder for the CT Hurricanes 18U squad quickly began giving her teammates in the field an audible scouting report.

If anybody knew DeBernardis’ game well, however, it was that Hurricanes outfielder.

After all, Caitlin DeBernadis has had a front row seat watching her little sister grow up to be a pretty good softball player in her own right.

This weekend, the two sisters—who just missed out on a chance of playing together for the first time this past spring—finally found themselves on the same field.

The only catch is each sister was in the opposite dugout.

They woke up as family but spent an hour and 15 minutes (finishing the inning, of course) as opponents.

The Thunder and Hurricanes met during pool play at a tournament hosted by the CT Tides at Peckham Park.

When all was said and done, the kid sister got bragging rights over the older sister, as the Thunder posted an 11-2 victory over the Hurricanes en route to an undefeated Saturday and, one day later, an appearance in the tournament final. (The Hurricanes lost in the semifinals on Sunday, nixing one more shot at the sisters playing against each other one time).

“I will give her that one. I mean, they won the game fair and square,” Caitlin said. “But I feel like it was more about just the experience and getting to play against each other rather than the actual win. So, I feel like we talked more about the game than the fact that she won, but she will get to hold that over my head for the rest of life.”

For the DeBernardis family, though, it was a special moment because it was the first time the two girls had been on the same field in a long time.

Caitlin, a 2025 graduate of Fairfield Warde, has always played rec and travel ball in a different age group than Maegan, a rising sophomore.

After playing for the CT Fury in their hometown of Fairfield, the two raised their travel games as they got older. Caitlin joined the Hurricanes while Maegan joined the Newtown-based Thunder.

Playing against each other was something different, but still special for both players and their parents, who have always had to take the divide-and-conquer route when making sure both daughters were supported in their travel journey.

“I think it was something really special,” said Caitlin, who will attend the University of Kentucky this fall. “I feel like the game’s always competitive, but it just made it that much more special and worthwhile playing. That’s the first time that’s happened all summer, so I feel like it’s probably the only time that’s happened all our lives. So, it was just a great memory to have and a great experience.”

Added Maegan, “It was really cool. We were very excited to play the high school season together, but I got hurt, so just playing together on the same field meant a lot to both of us just because we’ve been waiting for a while. It was really special and we’re both very competitive, so there was a lot of at-home side bets going on.”

While they might have been going against each other in this one game, truth be told, though, the DeBernadis sisters are tight.

“We’re best friends,” Caitlin said. “I don’t even know how to put it into words.”

Both DeBernardis sisters were set to play varsity this past spring at Warde, until a broken wrist the first week of practice ended Maegan’s season.

“We had expected that season together for so long,” Caitlin said. “Even when we were in elementary, middle school, we always talked about how we’d have one year in high school together and one softball season. So, it was disappointing when she broke her wrist just because it kind of altered the season for both of us, I think. Obviously, you can’t go back and undo that, so I guess we made the best of it how it was.”

Coincidentally, Caitlin had missed her junior season with the same injury, according to Warde coach Kenya McVey.

“They’re both the kind of kids who give you everything they have, every single time they step on the field,” McVey said. “Whether it’s practice, team-bonding, or a game, they literally gave me everything.”

Both gave everything they had playing against each other, as well.

Despite Caitlin’s scouting report, though, Maegan was 2-for-2 with a run scored against her sister’s team.

To understand how much the DeBernardis sisters love softball, McVey said, just consider their respective journey to this point of their summer lives.

Caitlin could have left the game behind since she won’t be playing at Kentucky, but instead offered herself up for one more summer season of mid-week practices and games every weekend.

“That shows a lot about her,” McVey said. “She’s in her senior summer, going away to college, and she’s still playing travel softball. She just loves softball.”

And Maegan, who went to every practice and game at Warde despite not playing an inning, was champing at the bit to get back on the field with her Thunder teammates once her injury was healed.

“She was there for anything we needed,” McVey said. “She kept the book, carried equipment with her good hand. We are looking forward to having her back.”

Both sisters grew up with an older brother, Ryan who played baseball. Likewise, they both found their way to the t-ball field and never stopped swinging since even if their positioning on the field proved to be different.

Caitlin found a home in the outfield while Maegan started embracing the infield.

“I think we both kind of just fell in love with it when we did,” Maegan said. “She obviously started earlier than me, so I just went to her games, and being the younger one, I wanted to do exactly what she did, so I was like, I want to do that, too. My parents signed me up right away and then we kind of just both got into it.”

All those practices and all those games, all the throwing they and hitting they did with each other in their back yard; every inning ever played led up to a Saturday afternoon here in Middlefield where they finally found themselves on the field together.

And both mom and dad were side by side by watching the two play all weekend long.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for them,” Caitlin said. “I feel like for Maegan and I, and my older brother, they’re our greatest support system and they’ve always been very dedicated to whatever we want to do. We want to play softball every weekend? They don’t hesitate to drive us and to bring us food and snacks and stuff. They’re always here on the sidelines cheering us on, rain or shine. I feel like there’s not many people in life that are going to do that for you.”

That sticking together is what families do even when they’re in opposite dugouts. After all, they might have been opponents in that one game, but they are also each other’s biggest fans and supporters.

Both have had such a large impact on each other’s careers.

“I think the one thing I look up to her the most is how much work she puts in behind the scenes and it just shows what you can do when you put in the work,” Maegan said. “And she always puts in the work, she puts in the effort and that’s something I’ve seen a lot from her in the high school season. I’ve always just looked up to her, this season and past seasons, and I think that’s something that will carry me through the rest of my softball career.”

It’s a softball career that Caitlin DeBernardis can’t wait to see grow even further.

“I think we’re very similar, although we are different people,” Caitlin added. “We’re both very competitive and love to win. I think what’s something that’s similar between me and Maegan is we have similar work ethics, so we’re always looking for more opportunities to play and practice.”

With one career soon ending and another gearing up for three more varsity and travel seasons, it made their moment on the field together that much more special.

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