By Jen Toland, College Beat Writer
April 29, 2015
Worcester, MA --- The beep of her alarm at 4:45 a.m. woke Worcester State junior Sara Pelletier from some restful sleep earlier this spring, but there was no hitting the snooze button. She and her WSU softball teammates had to be up and ready for practice at 5:30 some mornings as they worked around the challenges left behind by the winter's record-setting snow.
"We have to practice some time," said Pelletier, who took the early wake-ups in stride.
The Lancers canceled 10 outdoor practices before they left for Florida in mid-March, and there was still snow on the ground when they returned at the end of the month. They practiced inside at Hit Quarters in Shrewsbury, which was obviously accommodating a number of other area teams that were facing the same weather-related obstacles.
"It was definitely hard with the snow," senior Katie Storro said, "but we didn't let it affect us. It made us play harder."
The Lancers, who last weekend wrapped up a stretch of 20 games in 14 days, captured the regular-season MASCAC title for the second time in four years by sweeping a doubleheader from MCLA on Saturday. Worcester State (21-13, 11-3) earned the top seed in this week's MASCAC Tournament and will host the Salem State-Westfield State winner at 4 p.m. Friday at Rockwood Park.
"This team has definitely exceeded my expectations with all the adversity we had this year," second-year WSU coach Michelle Cote said. "And we're still a very young team, that's what's really exciting. We're so young and we keep getting better and better."
Cote was an assistant on the 2011 Worcester State team that won the MASCAC tourney and claimed the program's second NCAA Division 3 Tournament bid.
Getting back to the NCAAs is the ultimate goal of this year's Lancers squad, especially the team's three seniors, Storro, Alyssa Hill and Taylor Hanley.
"We want to keep it going to have a chance at the NCAAs," said Storro, a four-year starter who was a major contributor when the Lancers won the regular-season conference crown in 2012. "We will need a team effort, and I'm really excited to have a chance to go to NCAAs, especially in my last year."
Storro and Pelletier, former Leominster High teammates, have keyed the top of Worcester State's lineup. From the leadoff spot, Pelletier, the starting left fielder, is batting .319 and had four hits and scored three runs in the two wins over MCLA. Storro, the No. 2 batter who moved from the outfield to second base last season, is hitting .322 and leads the team with six sacrifice bunts. The Lancers scored in the first inning in four of their last five conference wins.
Cote said Pelletier has taken on a leadership role this season.
"She makes everyone so excited to play the game," Storro said. "I'm definitely happy to have the chance to play with her again."
Junior pitcher Meghan Rich (15-2, 10-1 MASCAC) has been outstanding. She led the MASCAC in wins and ERA (1.53) and was named the MASCAC Pitcher of the Week after going 5-1, throwing four shutouts and posting a 0.88 ERA.
"She's been phenomenal," Cote said. "She's been able to handle every team. She's not overpowering, but she has incredible movement and can change her speed so much, she frustrates really good batters."
The Lancers beat every team in the MASCAC tourney at least once during the regular season.
"We have to play our best," Pelletier said. "We can't go into any game thinking, 'We beat them before, we can do it again.' We can't let up at any time."
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