BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa varsity softball team began 2023 with a young team, but one with “a lot of potential,” said head coach Amanda Fifield. Entering May, the team has turned that potential into success, with the Scotties earning wins in five of their last six games.
The team finished the 2022 campaign with a 12-10 record, falling to Shenendehowa in the Section 2 Class AA semifinals. The Scotties have no seniors on this year’s roster, and return a strong group of players from last season’s squad.
Fifield said the team having no seniors is “definitely a unique situation.”
“I think it’s the first time ever in my coaching career I haven’t had a senior as a varsity coach,” Fifield said. “With each day, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, this team’s coming back for two years.’ So there’s so much to build from.”
The Scotties are 9-5 overall and 5-4 in the Suburban Council so far this season. Fifield highlighted pitching as one of the team’s strong suits this season, with the duo of junior Hadley Donnelly and sophomore Livia Wiltsie.
“Our pitchers are definitely, I would say, the strongest aspect of our team,” said junior catcher Calleigh Sisk. “They both work really hard. … They definitely help our team just keep the energy up, and they’re just great players.”
Fifield also said Sisk, junior shortstop Natalia Guthrie, and sophomore first baseman Madelyn Perrone have been important parts of the team this season.
“(Madelyn) doesn’t carry herself like a sophomore, she carries herself like a junior or senior, one of those upperclassmen,” Fifield said of Perrone. “Having that experience coming back, it doesn’t matter how young or how old you are, it’s all about the experience.”
The Scotties have also seen important contributions at the plate from juniors Carlie Koebbeman and Abigail Stagl, and freshman Carina DeCenzo, among others.
Fifield said one of the team’s goals is to reach base as much as possible, saying this will “allow the bigger pieces to happen.”
Donnelly said the Scotties will look to “come together as a team,” and take things one game at a time as they move through the rest of the season.
“Overall, just keep a positive team dynamic through the whole thing, and just take it one game at a time,” said Donnelly. “Hopefully, that will lead us to sectionals. … But right now, it’s just one game at a time and little successes.”
