MONROE—As a Masuk softball player, Grace Ely has learned to thrive under pressure.
Playing in three straight state championship games, and winning all three, can certainly prepare a player for such a thing.
So when the Panthers learned that sophomore starting pitcher Mary Saunders was not going to be available for Monday’s season opener against Norwich Free Academy, Ely—an All-State shortstop—took the ball and stepped into the circle.
Maybe it wasn’t pretty, but it was a 12-7 victory over Norwich Free Academy for the Panthers, who started their chase for an eighth straight state crown with a win.
“What an awesome role for her to come in and step in,” said Masuk head coach Emily Woznick. “That’s the number one thing that I think we chose Grace for our captain. Obviously, I know she’s our only senior, but she is such a special kid. I cannot speak more highly about Grace. She has such a level head. In the most high pressure situations, what we’ve seen since she was a freshman even, she has never gotten rattled.”
Saunders was not available for Monday’s game, but is expected back on Wednesday, according to Woznick.
Ely, a shortstop by trade, was far from perfect in the circle. She gave up seven earned runs and walked eight, but she also struck out eight.
More importantly, though, she was a leader to who stayed cool, calm and collected, even when she walked four straight batters in the top of the second inning, allowing NFA to get on the board.
“It was really just a full circle moment,” Ely said. “I remember pitching when I was like 12. It was definitely a big role I had to step into. It was different, definitely. I’ve been practicing at shortstop the whole time. It was unexpected. But I had a few days to mentally prepare. So it was good.”
The game plan was simple. Throw strikes and trust her teammates behind her.
“I think just trusting my infield and outfield,” said Ely. “I know that they’re going to make the plays behind me. If I have to pitch it down the middle, I have to pitch down the middle. I trust them with everything.”
It was a sage decision considering the Panthers didn’t make a single error behind in the game.
Norwich Free Academy, meanwhile, made four errors in the game.
“Well, we’re a little disappointed,” said NFA coach Tim Walsh. “We did not play very sharply defensively. We were expecting a better performance than that and it didn’t materialize.”
Still, midway through the game, the scoreboard showed a tie game: Masuk 5, NFA 5.
In the home half of the fourth, the Panthers blew the game open.
Ava Parente singled to open the inning and stole second. And third. Makayla Gill later walked.
Parente would get caught stealing home in a rundown, however, and after Gia Moretti grounded out, it appeared NFA might get out of the inning.
Instead, Peyton Webb had an RBI triple, giving Masuk the lead for good.
Ely added an RBI double and Josie Lieto singled as the Panthers pushed the lead to 8-5.
And they weren’t done.
A Ciena Perpetuo single made it 9-5 and an error by NFA allowed another runner score as Masuk took a 10-5 lead.
In the sixth, Lieto blasted a two-run home run to make it a 12-5 game and the Panthers were in position to win its season-opener.
“My sophomores did incredible,” Woznick said.
Lieto (4-for-4, 4 runs scored, 4 RBIs), Webb (2-for-3, 3 runs scored, 1 RBI), and Parente (3-for-4), all 10th graders, had nine of Masuk’s 12 hits on the day.
With Ely on the mound, Webb moved to shortstop and Izzy DiBernardo, another sophomore, slid into second where Webb normally plays, as Masuk jig-sawed their way to the win.
“It’s insane,” said Woznick. “The fact that we’re putting the ball in play, we’re making things happen, we’re aggressive on the base pass. I think these girls showed up and they showed up to win.”
Norwich Free Academy, which posted a 12-1 win over Killingly in its season-opener on Saturday, had six different players notch hits in the game.
The biggest blow, however, was a two-run home run by Amella Driscoll, but unfortunately in the game in the top of the seventh.
Olivia Bourdon also had two RBIs for the Wildcats.
NFA will host Stonington on Tuesday while Masuk hosts Fairfield Warde in a non-conference game on Wednesday.
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