The Cranston West softball team will play its season opener this Saturday night and is looking to make a return to the always-crowded Division I playoffs.
The Falcons overcame a slow start last …
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The Cranston West softball team will play its season opener this Saturday night and is looking to make a return to the always-crowded Division I playoffs.
The Falcons overcame a slow start last season to emerge as one of the state’s best teams in the postseason, where they reached the semifinals and lost in a tight 5-4 decision to Pilgrim.
Although West graduated three key seniors from last year’s team, they return much of the same core including pitcher Paige Cote, who coach PJ Bessette expects to be elite this coming year.
“Paige is going to be in the top-five in the state this year as a pitcher now that she’s a year older. Watching her in practice, she’s definitely fine-tuned her pitching, she’s going to be going to Assumption, I expect her to be one of the top five pitchers in the state, if not top three. I don’t know how many pitchers are going to be better than Paige,” said Bessette.
Other key Falcons include Sophia Marella, Alessandra Messina, Vicky DiPippo, Sam Healy, Aliyah Conner, Siena Nardelli, Mia Crudale and last year’s playoff hero Lyndsey Brandow, who hit a pair of homer runs in the semis.
“I think it’s going to be the same type of team as last year. Between losing McKenzie and Emily Bessette and Sofia Crudale, we lose quite a bit of offense, but I think with the year that the girls had last year and working hard (in the offseason), there is not going to be much of a drop off,” said Bessette.
Between teams like Coventry, Pilgrim, Bay View and Cumberland, Bessette expects Division I to be a dog fight once again. Although West may have a few questions to answer in the early going, the team’s goal will be to be playing its best softball when the lights are the brightest at the end of the season.
“I project us to be the same team, we’re going to take our lumps, we’ll be in the top third of the league. Last year we hit our stride in the playoffs and reached the semifinals. That’s what it’s about, having fun, learning, getting better and being ready for the playoffs where anything can happen,” said Bessette.
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