PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The new season brought many changes to the Wildcats’ varsity softball roster.
Coach Terry Cummings had to replace his entire starting infield from 2016 along with the starting centerfielder. Even with all the changes, the Wildcats own a 6-6 record and are in 10th place in the Class B North standings. With four games left, PI is hoping to stay in the top 12 and return to the playoffs.
The graduation of Jillian Flynn, Hailey Cameron, Taylor Williams and Alyssa Trombley and the transfer of Emma Bouchard has left Cummings with an inexperienced team. Left fielder Amy Seeley and pitcher Faith Leavitt are the only seniors.
Presque Isle’s Kayla Saucier stares toward home plate as Wildcat coach Terry Cummings looks on from the coach’s box at third base during a recent game. (Joseph Cyr)
Cummings’ revamped infield now includes a pair of freshman on the right side in second baseman Anna Trombley and first baseman Rebecca Rider. Sydney Thompson, who did a majority of the pitching last year, still gets some time on the mound but is the primary shortstop as a sophomore. Junior Kayla Saucier, who was a manager last year, is now the starting third baseman.
The Wildcats feature sophomore Savannah Rodriguez as the starting catcher. She played the position last year and joins Thompson and Seeley as the most consistent offensive players on the team. Saucier has steadily improved and comes in with a batting average near .400.
The outfield, from left to right, consists of Seeley, junior Aza Villatora and sophomore Allison Madore.
Lydia Miller, a sophomore, was pegged as the starting right fielder but suffered an injury during the off-season and is out for the year.
Leavitt is the No. 1 starting pitcher after slotting behind Thompson last season. Cummings said Leavitt’s ability to limit the number of walks she allows has made her very effective. He said having Thompson at shortstop makes the Wildcats a better defensive team.
Coming off the bench for PI are juniors Jessica Shaw and Hailey St. Thomas and freshman Alana Legassie. Kiara Lyford, Megan Butler and Sierra Blade are the managers and Peter Coffin is back as Cummings’ assistant coach.
Cummings said he likes the way his young team is improving every time out.
“We’ll continue to get better as everybody gains experience at the varsity level,” he said. “The future is bright, but we still have a goal of getting into a prelim game this spring and seeing what happens from there.”
