GROVELAND — Every game, there’s just something proving to be different about this Pentucket softball team.
Take Monday’s latest game, for example.
There were two outs in the top of the fourth inning, and Molly LeBel and her perfect, undefeated Panthers were trailing upstart Georgetown, 1-0. Talya Mariani was at the plate for the Royals, and absolutely smoked a line drive right back at LeBel. Thankfully, the pitcher got her glove slightly in the way, but the ball still cracked off her arm and ricocheted up into her facemask before falling to the ground. But as if nothing happened, LeBel quickly picked it up, and fired a strike over to first base to get the last out of the inning.
And on her way into the dugout, through determined eyes, her message to the rest of the team was clear.
“We’re not losing this game.”
So they didn’t.
Thanks to a pair of errors and a clutch two-out, two-run single from Kallie White, Pentucket plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth to ultimately take the lead for good. LeBel would handle things from there, completing the three-hitter with 13 strikeouts to eclipse the 700 K milestone mark for her illustrious career — all while leading the Panthers to a huge win over Georgetown, 4-2.
“I definitely have a bit of an internal fire,” said LeBel, on her comments to the team after getting hit. “I’m always in competition with myself, I would say. Every batter I’m trying to push myself more and more.”
And the best softball team in the CAL this year? It’s Pentucket (14-0).
Monday was a battle of the league’s two frontrunners this spring, with Georgetown (10-2) trying to earn another stunner after already beating Triton and Amesbury. But whether or not you want to start throwing around the “Team of Destiny” label when talking about Pentucket, they certainly continue to prove that the CAL is theirs this year.
“(Georgetown) is a great team, that was probably our most difficult game of the season,” said LeBel. “But I think we showed everybody what we’re capable of.”
And the Panthers are smart.
They’re taking this one game at a time.
When LeBel and fellow seniors Kayla Murphy, Jocelyn Bickford and Mia Bartholomew entered four years ago, the program was fresh off back-to-back 3-win seasons. There was some pressure on them to produce early on — especially with LeBel immediately taking over the starting pitcher role — and they delivered with an 11-10 season that saw them win a Division 3 preliminary round game, before losing in the first round. That next season (2023) was even better at 15-6, but again the program lost in the first round. Then last year, a 14-6 regular season saw the Panthers earn the No. 8 seed in the tournament, but they again were upset in the first round.
There’s really no talk about that this spring, but make no mistake … it’s driving them.
And that’s really the only thing left to accomplish: Some playoff success.
“Freshman year we went into the season, and it ended up being an amazing season for the program because the year before they only had three wins or something,” said Murphy. “So, we’ve just tried to help and grow this program, and it’s just been so nice to see everyone contributing.”
But you don’t get to be 14-0 by day-dreaming about what’s around the corner.
Every game day, Pentucket is bringing it.
LeBel is one of the best pitchers in the North Shore, the defense has been exceptional behind her, the Panthers have a potent offense with other names like Sarah Freitas, Caitlin McCoy, Michaela Garbardi and Ciara Penne, and the program has welcomed in some dynamite freshmen in Kam Bonneau (.667, 22 RBI, 9 HRs) and Evelyn Howell (2 HRs, 12 RBI).
“Last year at JV, and then coming up as a freshman, that was definitely the talk that this was going to be Pentucket’s year,” said Bonneau. “Coming up and being able to be on this team, and watch it thrive, has been a dream honestly.”
So Pentucket just keeps on winning.
Georgetown did make it a little interesting, when Ellie Barbarick blasted a solo home run well over the fence in right field to make it 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning. Grant and Figueroa had the team’s other two hits, and Ava Fair lifted a sacrifice fly in the first to give the Royals an early lead.
But, like LeBel said with a bruise probably forming on her arm, “We’re not losing this game.”
Added Pentucket coach Deb Smith: “Molly was outstanding today. She hit 700 strikeouts, and that was her best defensive game, too. She works so hard. That’s her personality all the time. She puts in so much work, and her game has grown because she puts in more work every year. She wants more and more. We’re 14-0, and there’s been a few times where we’ve gone over after and she’s like, ‘Nope, that wasn’t good enough.’
“Her leadership has improved leaps and bounds, she’s really leading the team now.”
Pentucket 4, Georgetown 2
Georgetown (2): Grant p 2-1-1, Barbarick c 3-1-1, Fair 1b 2-0-0, Johnson cf 3-0-0, Mariani ss 3-0-0, Figueroa 3b 3-0-1, Girard dh 3-0-0, Maguire rf 3-0-0, Robinson 2b 2-0-0. Totals 24-2-3
Pentucket (4): Freitas 2b 2-0-1, Murphy ss 4-1-2, Bickford dh 1-1-0, Bonneau cf 2-0-0, White 3b 4-0-2, McCoy rf 2-0-0, Bartholomew lf 4-1-1, Gabardi 1b 3-0-0, Pennie c 2-0-0. Totals 24-4-6
RBI: P — White 2, Murphy; G — Barbarick, Fair
HR: G — Barbarick
WP: LeBel (7 IP, 2 ER, 13 Ks); LP: Grant (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 Ks)
Georgetown (10-2) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 2
Pentucket (14-0): 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 — 4