For Maddie Noury, the science of hitting the softball takes a back seat. It’s see ball. Hit ball. Hard.
“I just step in with a clear mind, don’t think of much of anything and I tell myself I’m going to hit the ball,” said Noury.
Who is going to argue?
Just a couple games into her season, the Whittier Tech senior joined some pretty elite Wildcat company in Saturday’s win over Blackstone Valley.
Her single to right field was hit No. 100 for Noury’s Wildcat career.
“Maddie has worked diligently on her game in softball. She has been our leadoff batter and starting shortstop since her sophomore year,” said coach Cheryl Begin. “I don’t know where this team would be without athletes like Maddie Noury. Her work ethic is contagious, and she is a leader among her peers on and off the field.”
Noury joins the likes of Kayle Habib, Alicia Habib, Alyssa Michel, Kayla Riley and Cassie Glode, all of whom accomplished the feat in Begin’s 19 seasons at the helm.
“I’m pretty proud of it. A lot of thanks goes to my coach,” said Noury. “She has taught me a lot.”
A whiz in the Whittier carpentry shop, Noury spends her days framing houses on her internship with DMS Builders.
Currently, they are on the job in Salem, N.H., and she’ll stay on the job through the summer after graduation.
First things first, though. Noury, who spent freshman year at second base before sliding over to short for the past three seasons, hopes to again lead the Wildcats on a ride toward the top of the Commonwealth Conference.
“I’m excited. I’m sad that it’s ending, but I’m ready for the season,” said Noury. “We have a strong team and didn’t really lose much from last year. We have it in us to do it again.”
Noury will head to the Wentworth Institute of Technology with a focus on their carpentry management major. She’s not ruling out a return to the softball field there, either.
Good one Tuesday morning
Like most leagues out there, weather has riddled the early season schedule around the Merrimack Valley Conference. The first real intriguing softball game of the MVC spring happens Tuesday morning at Burnham Road where 3-0 Methuen hosts North Andover, which is yet to play a game.
The pitching matchup is absolutely legit with seniors Mackenzie Yirrell of the Rangers likely to square off with North Andover’s Brigid Gaffny. Each is a warrior of mega-postseason innings over the past two years. Yirrell pitched the Rangers to the state final four in 2022, while the Eagle-Tribune All-Star Gaffny helped carry the Knights to the state quarters a year ago.
So, yeah, it’s a bigtime clash in the circle.
But while the Rangers have been pretty much perfect, outscoring Lowell Catholic, Lawrence and Lowell, 52-1, in the early going, there is little to go on with North Andover.
“It’s been the longest preseason in history,” said Knights’ coach Caitlin Flanagan, who has seen the first two games on the schedule washed away by weather.
“Gaffny is back on the mound and (Jenna) Roche behind the plate, and we’re building in other areas. Our shortstop (Juliana Dunn) is back, too. Those are the big three positions. and (sophomore Lauren) Lynch has moved into center nicely. So, up the middle, we’re returning.”
Slow starts
The early spring snow certainly New Hampshire schedules back as well.
Both Timberlane – at Keene on Monday – and Salem – at Nashua North on Wednesday – await their openers.
The Owls’ home opener on Wednesday vs. Londonderry might be the game of the week in the state.
Fast starts
There has been nothing slow about Pinkerton Academy’s first week. The Astros outscored their first two foes, 26-0, including a five-inning, 12-strikeout no-hitter against Bedford from freshman Julia Caruso.
Caruso, by the way, is the younger sibling of Astros’ football and wrestling standouts Anthony and James Caruso.
Offensively, in the two games, catcher Maddy Moore is 4 for 5 with two homers and seven RBIs. Jennie Hiscox is 4 for 6 with three runs and three RBIs.
Odds and Ends
The potential impact of catcher Mya German on the Greater Lawrence Tech program cannot be overlooked. The junior transfer from Lawrence already has a couple of multi-hit games. Oh, by the Lancers visit the Reggies on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. on the turf by the river. …
Speaking of the Merrimack, downriver a bit, in Groveland, there’s a pretty interesting non-league battle slated Monday morning at 11 a.m. when the Hillies cross the bridge and face Pentucket.
Panther junior Molly LeBel is rolling early, pitching wins over Newburyport and most recently an eight-inning decision Saturday over North Reading.