The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

Freshmen excel in softball

By Ellie Smith
Features Editor

Ever since the age of 10, Jackie Andry, Emily Bramanti, and Allie Mulhern have enjoyed playing softball together. Now as freshmen on the varsity softball team at WA, the three excel when playing together. Teammate and junior Megan Bramanti is impressed with their skills and feels having the three freshmen on the team push her to work harder.

“Being on a varsity sport freshman year is pretty impressive, and they definitely add a lot to the team. The three girls make the rest of us push harder because of how good they are, and they are only freshmen,” said Megan.

(From left to right) Bramanti, Andry and
(From left to right) Bramanti, Andry and Mulhern

Prior to playing for WA, the three have all been playing softball since the age of 7 through Westford programs.

They then went on to play for Waves, a club softball team, for 5 years together on the same team.

All of them play outfield, with Mulhern also being able to play every position except for pitcher.

Their love of softball has continued from a young age, as all three players enjoy many aspects of the game.

“I really like the team dynamic of it, it’s not just you, you have a team to back you up and keep you going,” said Mulhern.

When it came time to make the decision of whether or not to try out for the team, Mulhern decided to try out because of her love for the sport and the enjoyment she gets when playing.

“I really like the sport and I have a true passion for playing it,” said Mulhern.

Emily specifically enjoys how if one player makes a mistake, other players are always there to help.

“You may mess up on one play, but the rest of the team can back you up and be there to support you,” she said.

Andry likes how the game is both physically and mentally demanding.

“It’s a really complicated sport,” said Andry. “It is very intricate in the thinking process, more than just the physical aspect.”

According to teammate and sophomore Danielle Mendonca, each of the three freshmen bring different strengths to the team.

Mulhern brings an amazing ability on the field and can play almost anywhere.
Emily is one of the players who is always making the team laugh and has a strong, accurate arm. Andry has a strong focus on the game and excels in hitting.

Leading up to tryouts, they prepared over the winter months by staying in shape and practicing. Due to snow, tryouts were in the gym, making it more difficult to display all of their skills to the fullest. However, they continued to try their hardest and ultimately were successful in making the team.

Andry felt the tryout were a good opportunity to show not only the physical skills, but the mental aspects of the game.

“I liked how at tryouts they also gave you tips on playing and not only evaluated you. They also looked at how well you can adapt and listen,” said Andry.

With two hour practices daily and games weekly, balancing school and softball can be a challenge.

“It has definitely been a lot more challenging to balance sports and school this year just because of the commitment level,” said Andry.

Both Bramanti and Mulhern play both softball and basketball. Softball is the only sport Andry plays, and she participates in various teams year round.

Now with the season coming to a close, the three players are looking forward to next year, mainly working on improving their skills as a team. However, most of their excitement leading into next year is, “not being freshmen anymore.”

Mendonca has enjoyed playing with all of the freshmen and looks forward to continuing playing with them in the years to come.

“The freshmen who are on the team stand out more than other players because they all strive to be a better athlete and they’re all dedicated to the team,” said Mendonca.

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