High school softball notebook: These two-way stars aim to pitch in at the plate, and in the circle

Boston Globe

16-04-2025

'I've always focused on trying to be the best player I can be in all aspects of my game,' Lincoln-Sudbury senior
Kelsey Blanchette
said. 'I've never really thought about only doing one. I want to be able to do everything I can to help my team.'
L-S coach
Devan Rabidou
started coaching Blanchette in travel ball, at age 10. Even then, she could see the talent of a player who is now committed to the University of Massachusetts.
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'When I got the L-S job, I knew she was a kid that would be coming through the pipeline,' said Rabidou, at the helm since 2019. 'Not only was I excited to start coaching L-S, but knowing [Blanchette] would be coming up was something that I was definitely excited about.'
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As a junior, Blanchette hit .429 with 28 RBIs while compiling a 2.30 earned run average with 103 strikeouts.
One of the biggest advantages to playing both sides of the ball is having a better understanding of both a hitter's and pitcher's tendencies, and taking advantage of that.
In a battle of two teams in the Globe Top 10 Monday afternoon, Blanchette and Bedford senior
Alyx Rossi
went toe-to-toe in both the circle and the box.
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'Having that sort of competition in-league is great,' Rabidou said. 'It definitely helps [as a two-way player] to think about pitch sequence and how you want to attack the plate when you know the strategy from the other side of it. It can be a fun challenge.'
Blanchette roped a stand-up triple and eventually came across with the winning run for No. 10 Bedford in a 2-1 Dual County League victory.
Having the Boston College-bound Rossi lead the way has eased the burden on Bedford coach
Dennis Walsh
.
'I joke that I just sit on the bucket half the time, and just watch what they do. And that's not that far from the truth,' Walsh said.
The lefthanded Rossi has pitched her way to a 0.67 ERA with 63 strikeouts, along with a .688 batting average.
'Pitching-wise, I like being able to see where I like to see the ball pitched, and how umpires either favor a hitter or don't. If I was facing myself, could I see myself striking out?' Rossi said. '[And batting-wise], I'm constantly trying to see if I could hit myself. Just trying to envision myself on both sides of the field.'
'
'I'm constantly trying to see if I could hit myself. Just trying to envision myself on both sides of the field.'
Bedford pitcher Alyx Rossi
It's not a stretch to say that Bedford senior Alyx Rossi is an impact player in the circle and at the plate.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
However, struggles on one side have the potential to bleed into the other.
'If you're not perfect, I think they can be hard on themselves,' Walsh added. 'They're so good, usually. For the most part, they compartmentalize it well. But sometimes, when they know they're up against a lineup that's just as challenging, it's hard to keep the energy up the whole time.'
Emma Penniman
, the reigning Cape Ann Kinney co-MVP at Triton Regional, only committed to pitching and hitting her freshman year. The senior carried a 1.21 ERA and also hit .443 last season.
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'Being a pitcher, I can tell what's coming at me when I'm in the box,' Penniman said. '[When I'm pitching to another two-way player], I just pretend they're the same as everyone else. I have the skill, they have the skill, we're both equal and I can do it too.'
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Having one player involved in all facets of the game provides off-field benefit, as well.
'The advantage of having a two-way player is generally they're the team leader,' said Triton coach
Alan Noyes
. 'They're the heart and soul. Those types of players are special.'
Noyes is lucky enough to have Penniman anchoring his lineup chart.
'It makes life very easy,' Noyes added. 'You throw her in the circle, you bat her in the heart of your order, and just watch her go.'
I want to be able to do everything I can to help my team.
Lincoln-Sudbury's Kelsey Blanchette trotted home with the first run in an eventual 2-1 victory over Bedford on Monday.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Extra bases
▪ Armed with six seniors, Monomoy has marched out to a 6-0 mark.
The Sharks have shown bite, scoring 107 runs. In the heart of the lineup, batting fifth, is eighth-grade first baseman
Liv Sanford
.
'She's just roping the ball,' said Monomoy coach
Stacy Yarnall
. 'She's been making contact.'
Freshman
Kinsey Lister
has stepped up to command the ball, keeping the opposition at bay, with help of the excellent defense from junior shortstop
Kiley Mawn
.
The latest victory, a 10-8 barnburner over Wareham, showed a lot of resiliency. 'Those are the games that I love,' said Yarnall. 'We fought. We were down, 6-2.'
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▪ The focus of Tuesday's MIAA Softball Committee meeting, held virtually, was talk of a potential Super 8 tournament. The discussion about implementing a Division 1A tournament was met with pros and cons, with further debate to come in the future.
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Venues for the state semifinals and championships have not been locked in. UMass Lowell and UMass Dartmouth, as with years past, could host semifinal action. Sortino Field at UMass Amherst, which has hosted all five divisions of state finals recently, does not have lights, which poses a problem.
'Having a venue that has lights is something that we want to add to not run into the daylight issue,' said MIAA associate director
Sherry Bryant
.
Games to watch
Friday, No. 9 Walpole at No. 3 Dighton-Rehoboth, 4 p.m.
— The defending Division 2 and 3 champions, respectively, go head-to-head.
Monday, No. 8 Bishop Feehan at No. 2 King Philip, 12 p.m.
— With no shortage of star power, Mylie Ramer and Maddie Coupal lead the Shamrocks against McCoy Walsh, Ali Gill, and King Philip.
Monday, No. 1 Taunton at Westfield, 1 p.m.
— The four-time defending Division 1 champs venture west up I-495 and on the Mass Pike to battle senior ace Shea Hurley and Westfield, a perennial powerhouse.
Monday, No. 17 Triton at Pentucket, 4 p.m.
— Two of the best teams in Cape Ann League test their mettle in an early season matchup that could impact the league title race.
Tuesday, No. 5 Silver Lake at No. 7 Central Catholic, 12 p.m.
— Programs with tremendous recent success lock horns, as Fairfield commits lock horns when Silver Lake's Delaney Moquin battles Olivia Moeckel and Central Catholic.
Correspondent Cam Kerry contributed.
Cam Kerry can be reached at