Freshman heavy team shows signs of improvement 

By Chris Villani

With five freshmen and seven juniors on this year’s varsity softball roster for Blackstone Valley Tech, head coach Peter Cardoza had a feeling there could be some growing pains this spring. But the Beavers are showing signs of promise every game and the coach feels like they will finish the year strong.

“I think we will get it, I think we can turn it around,” Cardoza said following a 3-7 start. “It’s been a tough year, but we have had some good games against some good teams. We just haven’t always played well enough to get a win.”

Valley Tech typically plays a game that involves strong defense and playing small ball, manufacturing enough runs to win. Cardoza said the team is not fully executing that strategy yet, but numerous players have put together standout seasons, including junior Brooke Gniadek in the circle.

“She has pitched really well for us and she is also hitting close to .500,” Cardoza said. “She has been super this year.”

Julia Trujillo, one of only four seniors on the team, is a key power bat in the lineup. She hit well over .300 with a pair of home runs through the first half of the season.

Julia Trujillo reaches for a ball in the outfield. She has also been a big bat in the BVT order. Courtesy photo

 Junior Olivia Hall is another mainstay in the lineup, and classmate Ella Foster has been stellar defensively at shortstop while also moving runners along and getting bunts down when needed at the plate. Coupled with yet another junior, Bella Raymond, Foster has been part of a strong middle infield that is Valley Tech’s biggest strength defensively, Cardoza said. Elleigh MacNeil, a sophomore, has contributed in both centerfield and at third base.

Bella Raymond (left) puts a tag on a player during a recent game. Courtesy photo

 The talent has shown signs of gelling. Against Norton, a final four team a season ago, BVT scored four runs after being shut out against the same team in the tournament last year. 

“We can compete with the best teams,” Cardoza said. “But we need to play a good, clean game all the way around, and we are just not there yet.”

Cardoza acknowledges that his youthful roster may be a year away, but there is still work to be done and promise for this season as well.

“We have a tough schedule, but we are gearing up for improvement in the second half of the year,” he said. “Hopefully we can pull off an upset and maybe make some noise in the playoffs.”