BROCKTON — Archbishop Williams High softball coach Charlie Conners likes how his team is handling adversity in this, his first season at the helm … especially since the Bishops are handling it faster these days.
Williams responded to a three-game losing streak last month by immediately ripping off six straight wins. That run came to a screeching halt on Monday as the Bishops suffered a 15-run drubbing at Bishop Feehan.
The response was immediate this time.
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Eighth-grader Jillian Ondrick continued her torrid start with four more hits, including a two-run home run, as the Bishops quickly got back on track, beating Cardinal Spellman, 13-3, on Thursday in Catholic Central League action. Williams took advantage of three Spellman errors to push across eight runs in the top of the first and never looked back to improve to 10-4 on the season.
“You don’t ever like losing like that,” Conners said of the 18-3 setback at Feehan, “but maybe it was a good thing. One thing I stressed with them since then was: Are we going to go into another losing streak or are we going to bounce back? I was happy to see the team respond very quickly with eight runs in the first inning today against our rival. It was a big game in the CCL.”
Ondrick again was at the center of the action. The Weymouth resident has been tearing it up both in the circle and at the plate this season in her varsity debut. She DH’d in this one and had hits in her first four plate appearances before reaching on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning.
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Ondrick singled twice, and scored once, in the first inning when the Bishops sent 12 batters to the plate. She tripled (to right-center) and scored in the third and homered deep to left field in the fifth to score Alyssa Burke (2 for 5, 2 runs, RBI) from second base. Ondrick came into the game hitting around .600, and Conners thinks she’s up to six home runs and about 20 RBI.
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“She’s young … but as far as her skill level, that’s not young,” Conners said. “She’s been one of our best players all year — on the mound and offensively. She’s been a pleasure to coach — quiet but a great attitude at the same time.”
Ondrick’s instant success at the varsity level — she’s played 14U club ball with Taunton-based Mass. Dynamite — has been a pleasant surprise.
“As a first-year guy I was made aware that I had some young talent here,” Conners said. “I didn’t really understand how good. Jill’s definitely the real deal. She’s going to be a great player here hopefully for another four years.
“The whole team has been great. Last year they won only six games. They’re all really energetic and having fun. That was one of the things I tried to (instill in them) early — that it’s supposed to be fun, and the winning will come along with that if they’re having fun. And now they’re having even more fun (because of the success).”
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Emma Chenette (1 for 3, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Jessica Keefe (1 for 3, run, RBI), Emma O’Neil (run, RBI), Ciara McMenamin (run, RBI) and pitcher Shelby Parr (run, 2 RBI) also starred for the Bishops.
Spellman (7-8) actually out-hit Williams, 11-10, thanks in large part to senior shortstop Emma Barnes, who was 4 for 4, including an RBI single in the seventh inning. In pregame warm-ups Barnes had a ball carom off her left wrist, raising a large welt.
“She iced that thing for a little but and you could see (the lump) go down quite a bit,” Spellman coach Mike Gerrish said. “She was fine. Emma’s been unbelievable; she was hitting .628 coming into the game (with 3 homers and 23 RBI). She’s been so, so solid for us every game. The other day was the first game she went hitless all year. Most games it’s multiple hits. She’s really done the job with the bat.”
Catcher Roslyn Quinn had two hits for Spellman, including a triple down the right-field line in the fourth inning. She came in to score on Peyton D’Ambra’s sharp single to left.
While Ondrick has gotten most of the starts in the circle for the Bishops this season, Parr, a junior, got the assignment in this one. She was very effective, striking out nine and not walking a batter. In fact, she went to a three-ball count only once. Including balls in play she threw 84 of her 104 pitches for strikes.
“That’s something Shelby does — she’s a strike thrower,” Conners said. “A strong suit of her game is pounding the zone. The thing I’m trying to get her to understand is that in 0-2 or 1-2 counts (she should make hitters chase). She gave up, I think, three hits today on 0-2 or 1-2 counts where the ball shouldn’t be a strike.”
Parr, whose younger sister Regan batted cleanup (she was 1 for 5 with a run) and played third base, said she’s pleased with where the Bishops are heading into the last few weeks of the season.
“I’m pretty happy with our record right now,” she said. “I think we’ve grown together as a team throughout the wins and losses. I’m really happy with how it’s going.”
All is not lost for Spellman, either. Starting pitcher Ava Loud, who’s been outstanding for the Cardinals this season, deserved a better fate in that first inning and settled down right after that. Reliever Ava Nabstedt was solid in her four innings of work, and Barnes continues to rake.
In the latest MIAA power rankings that came out last Friday, Archbishop Williams was the No. 4 seed in Div. 4 and Spellman was No. 16 in Div. 3. The top 32 teams in each division automatically qualify for the postseason.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Gerrish said, “but I definitely think we’re a tournament-caliber team. On days we play well and don’t make those mistakes (we’re tough to beat). I think we’ll get there. The kids are still positive. You just have to wipe this one off the slate and have a short memory.”
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