By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — Four members of the North Reading High softball team were named to Cape Ann League All-Star teams this season. One Hornet made the First Team while three others made the Second Team.
Jillian Corbett was the lone Hornet to make the First Team and it is her first All-Star appearance.
The junior catcher hit .528 with and an on-base percentage of .562 as she was first on the team in those categories. She had a slugging percentage of .750, scored 28 runs and was second on the team in runs-batted in with 28.
“She is a very strong, consistent hitter,” said Hornets head coach Nicole Zimmerman. “She was our left fielder last year but moved to catcher this year and did a good job behind the plate.”
Alivia Heck, Naomi Barber and Emily Cassarino were the three Hornets to make the CAL Second-Team All-Stars. It is the first postseason honor for all three players.
Heck, a sophomore first baseman, led the team in homers with four and she was first in RBI with 29. She hit .456 with an on-base percentage of .513. Heck’s slugging percentage was .735.
“She really stepped up this year,” said Zimmerman. “For a sophomore, she showed a lot of poise and was a good vocal leader in the field. She also showed a lot of flexibility at first with her stretches.”
Barber hit .400 with an OBP of .481. She had a slugging percentage of .643. and knocked in 21.
“She is a stellar fielder who covered a lot of ground,” pointed out Zimmerman, about the junior second baseman.
Cassarino, a sophomore shortstop , hit .459 with an OBP of .500 and she had 22 runs batted in.
“Despite her smaller size, she had a lot of power,” said Zimmerman. “At short, she is a stud. She has a very strong arm and looks very smooth out there.”
North Reading lost their first playoff game in the MIAA Division 3 state tournament as they fell to Greater Lawrence, 7-4, at home.
Overall, they finished with a final record of 13-8. In the CAL, they were 12-4 as they ended up in second place in the Kinney Division.
On June 16, the Hornets had their end-of-season banquet at the Moose Hall. That evening, Zimmerman gave out three awards.
The Coaches Award went to senior outfielder Samantha Cassarino.
Alyse Mutti, a senior co-captain, received the Unsung Heroine Award. Mutti, a third baseman, will be attending Anna Maria College where she will play both field hockey and ice hockey as a goalie.
The MVP Award went to Barber.
“The girls exceeded my expectations,” stated Zimmerman who just finished her fourth year at the helm. “We lost a lot of seniors from last year and I thought that we would be around the .500 mark but we ended up much better than that.”
Along with Cassarino and Mutti, they will also lose Julia Mulik to graduation. Mulik, a right fielder, was the senior captain along with Mutti.
“I couldn’t have asked for better kids,” said Zimmerman, about the three seniors. “It was a special group because my first year was Julia’s and Alyse’s freshman year. Samantha joined us this year.”
Next year, the Hornets are slated to return the most players in the league with 12 expected back.
“I am really looking forward to next season,” admitted Zimmerman. “We will be the most experienced team in the league.”
The three juniors captains this year, Barber, Corbett and Amelia Yeakel will be the captains again next season.