Update after press time: North Reading falls to Gloucester 10-2 (April 2)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — It was another solid year for the North Reading High softball team last season as the Hornets reached the MIAA Division 3 state tournament quarterfinals before falling to Apponequet Regional, 11-4.
Overall, the Hornets ended the year at 17-6. In the Cape Ann League, North Reading went 11-4 as they ended up in 2nd place in the CAL Kinney Division behind Triton.
Six seniors from that team graduated but fourth-year head coach Nicole Zimmerman welcomed back nine veterans when practice officially opened on Mach 17.
Five of the players back are this year’s captains as there are two senior captains and three junior captains.
The two senior captains are outfielder Julia Mulik and third baseman Alyse Mutti. Naomi Barber (second baseman), Jillian Corbett (catcher) and Emilia Yeakel (pitcher) are the three junior captains.
Corbett was a Cape Ann League Second-Team All-Star last spring.
Meghan Russell is the other 11th-grader back and she is a left fielder.
Emily Cassarino (shortstop), Alivia Heck (first baseman) and Ella Yeakel (center fielder) are the three sophomores back.
Due to bad weather, the team did not have any scrimmages but Zimmerman was not too worried.
“We have a solid team back so I think we will be okay despite not getting any scrimmages in,” she said.
The Hornets are slated to play a 20-game regular season schedule with 17 CAL games and three non-league ones. Gloucester, Wilmington and Northeast Metro Tech will be the Hornets’ three non-league opponents.
Although Triton won the CAL Kinney crown last year, Zimmerman feels that Pentucket will be the team to beat in the division this year since they have a bunch of returners.
North Reading will open CAL play on Monday, April 7 as they visit Essex Tech up in Danvers. That game will start at 4:30 p.m.
On April 9, they have a key early season test as they visit Triton up in Byfield. That game will also start at 4:30 p.m.