WESTFIELD – Two years ago, softball returned to St. Mary’s High School for the first time since 2005.
St. Mary’s began 2019 as a junior varsity program, and although they would only play three innings in their first game back due to rain, it was a notable effort.
Anna Kosinski struck out seven batters over the first three frames of a shutout. Audrey Burke, Paige Hutkoski, and Lauren Campbell delivered key hits. The Saints departed with a 12-0 victory.
The follow-up effort was even better.
Koskinski, Burke, and Campbell homered as St. Mary’s pounded out a blistering 25-5 win over Central. Hutkoski, Emma Goodreau, Allie Goodreau, Mara Downie, Abby Shanahan, and Kaylee Hamel added key hits. Kosinski and Burke struck out a combined seven hitters.
The success continued.
The St. Mary’s High School JV softball team enjoyed an amazing season in 2019. The Saints were expected to step up as a first-year varsity unit in 2020 prior to the cancelation of the season due to COVID-19. They will resume that journey this spring. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO)
St. Mary’s exploded for nine first-inning runs and a total of 21 hits in a 23-5 rout of Gateway.
Kosinski and Hutkoski each went 5-for-5. Burke collected four hits. All three batters tripled. Kosinski, Allie Goodreau, and Amelia Willenborg tossed a combined two-hitter, striking out eight.
There were very few roadblocks in St. Mary’s perfect season. Not even a long road trip to the Berkshires nor a tough Lenox squad could slow down the Saints. They won again, 13-4.
In that game, it was Kosinski who provided the early spark, blasting a three-run homer. Downie, Burke (3-for-4, triple), Hutkoski (3-for-4), Lauren Campbell (triple), Allie Goodreau (2-for-4), and Willenborg each had hits for St. Mary’s in a six-run sixth.
Kosinski scattered four runs over six strong innings. She had 12 Ks.
St. Mary’s soon gave their neighbors from Southwick very little wiggle room in a softball contest. The Saints soundly defeated the Rams 18-3 in five innings.
Hutkoski led the hit attack, going 3-for-5 with a double and five RBIs. Kosinski earned the victory on the mound, allowing just one run to go along with four Ks.
Gateway looked to exact revenge in its rematch with St. Mary’s but the Saints thwarted that attempt. The Saints collected a total of 16 hits, including a bases-clearing home run from Burke in a 25-6 blowout.
Allie Goodreau went a perfect 5-for-5 with two doubles, Kosinski (3-for-5) tripled, Willenborg (3-for-5) and Hutkoski (2-for-5) and Emma Goodreau (2-for-5) doubled.
Kosinski, Burke, and Hutkoski tossed a combined three-hitter. They struck out eight.
Then, on May 24, 2019, the St. Mary Saints completed a perfect season, defeating Pathfinder 27-7 to win their 17th straight.
Fourteen years after having shutdown their softball program, St. Mary’s laid the foundation to restore the sport to prominence in Western Mass. But then just as the Saints were set to make the leap to varsity, COVID struck, shutting down Year Two before it could ever take off.
Flash forward another year and St. Mary’s is once again set to unveil its Year Two roster. The Saints will begin the season against Duggan Academy May 7 at Hubbard Park at 4 p.m.
“The kids are super excited,” St. Mary’s athletic director Matt Collins said. “The kids lost a whole year. They can’t wait to start.”
St. Mary’s girls tennis opens play Thurs., May 6 at Hampden Charter School of Science. The Saints baseball team begins the season against the Southwick Rams May 7 at Westfield Intermediate School. Boys lacrosse hosts Monson in a season opener May 7 at Boardman Field.
Other season openers for St. Mary’s include boys tennis (May 13) versus Greenfield and girls lacrosse (May 13) at Central.
“The kids are chomping to play a game,” Collins said. “It’s going to be a fast and furious season.”
A Western Massachusetts and state tournament will also be held at season’s end. There will be no qualifying factors with anyone opting in this season eligible to play. Regular season record will dictate tournament seeds.
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ST. MARY’S
Thurs., May 6
GIRLS TENNIS @ Hampden Charter School of Science, 4 p.m.
Fri., May 7
BASEBALL vs. Southwick, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL @ Duggan Academy, Hubbard Park (Diamond #2), 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE vs. Monson, Boardman Field, 4 p.m.
Mon., May 10
BASEBALL @ Palmer, Legion Field, 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE @ Chicopee, 5 p.m.
Tues., May 11
SOFTBALL vs. Hampden Charter School of Science, Sadie Knox, 3:30 p.m.
Wed., May 12
BASEBALL vs. Monson, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE @ Pathfinder, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS @ Renaissance, Van Horn Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Thurs., May 13
SOFTBALL vs. Sci-Tech, Sadie Knox, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS vs. Greenfield, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE @ Central, Berte Field, 7 p.m.
Fri., May 14
BASEBALL @ Ware, Memorial Field, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL @ Westfield Technical Academy, Whitney Park, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS @ Pioneer Valley Christian Academy, 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE @ Central, Berte Field, 7 p.m.
Mon., May 17
BOYS TENNIS vs. Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE @ Chicopee Comp, 6 p.m.
Tues., May 18
BASEBALL vs. Granby, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL @ Renaissance, Marshall Roy Field, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS vs. Palmer, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE @ Monson, 7 p.m.
Wed., May 19
SOFTBALL @ Monson, Quarry Hill Community School, 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE vs. Granby, Boardman Field, 4 p.m.
Thurs., May 20
BASEBALL vs. Sabis, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL @ Commerce, Marshall Roy Field, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS @ Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, 4 p.m.
Fri., May 21
BOYS LACROSSE vs. McCann Tech, Boardman Field, 4 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS @ Greenfield, Davis Street Courts, 4 p.m.
Mon., May 24
BASEBALL @ Hampshire, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL vs. Westfield Technical Academy, Sadie Knox, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS vs. Sabis, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Tues., May 25
BOYS LACROSSE @ Monson, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE @ Chicopee, 5 p.m.
Wed., May 26
BASEBALL @ Southwick, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE vs. Belchertown, Boardman Field, 4:30 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS @ Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS vs. Hampden Charter School of Science, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Thurs., May 27
SOFTBALL @ Hampden Charter School of Science, 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE vs. Chicopee, Boardman Field, 4 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS vs. Greenfield, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Fri., May 28
BASEBALL vs. Palmer, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
Mon., May 31
No Sports Scheduled
Tues., June 1
GIRLS TENNIS vs. Renaissance, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Wed., June 2
BOYS TENNIS vs. Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Tues., June 1
BASEBALL @ Monson, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL @ Sci-Tech, Blunt Park (Diamond #5), 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE vs. Pathfinder, Boardman Field, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE @ Pope Francis, 6 p.m.
Wed., June 2
BASEBALL vs. Ware, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE vs. Central, Boardman Field, 4:30 p.m
Thurs., June 3
BASEBALL @ Granby, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL vs. Renaissance, Sadie Knox, 3:30 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE vs. Central, Boardman Field, 4 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE vs. Monson, Boardman Field, 4:30 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS vs. Pioneer Valley Christian Academy, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Fri., June 4
No Sports Scheduled
Mon., June 7
BASEBALL @ Westfield Technical Academy, Bullens Field, 3:15 p.m.
GIRLS LACROSSE vs. Chicopee Comp, Boardman Field, 4:30 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS @ Palmer, 4 p.m.
Tues., June 8
BASEBALL @ Sabis, Nathan Bill, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL vs. Commerce, Sadie Knox, 3:30 p.m.
Wed., June 9
SOFTBALL vs. Monson, Sadie Knox, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS vs. Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter, Municipal Tennis Courts, 4 p.m.
Thurs., June 10
BASEBALL vs. Hampshire, Westfield Intermediate School, 4 p.m.
BOYS LACROSSE @ Granby, 4 p.m.
Fri., June 11
GIRLS LACROSSE @ Belchertown, 5 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS @ Sabis, Forest Park, 4 p.m.
Mon., June 14
BOYS LACROSSE @ McCann Tech, 4 p.m.
