Nelson pitches Norton to top
NORTON — Wade Lizotte knew the high school softball world wasn’t going to be ready for someone like Kelly Nelson.
As the junior varsity coach at Norton in 2014, Lizotte watched as the eighth-grader had her way with overmatched opponents on a daily basis.
“I was lucky enough to have her and you could see moments of greatness back then,” Lizotte said. “You knew she was going to be someone special.”
Lizotte received a bigger break when the Norton varsity softball job opened the following season. He got it and immediately installed Nelson as his starting pitcher. All the incoming freshman did was go 22-3, striking out 278 batters in 172 innings, in leading the Lancers to the Division 2 state semifinals.
Nelson isn’t one to focus on the wins, the strikeouts, the nohitters. She is quick to say that she gets more from a loss than a win, something she’s only experienced six times in three years.
“Losing is the best motivation,” Nelson said. “It’s a feeling you never want to have.”
Talent certainly played a large part in Nelson’s 47-6 career mark. But Lizotte said that it’s more than just God-given ability that placed Nelson among the elite hurlers in the state.
“She has a great work ethic. She comes to practice every day and works extremely hard,” said Lizotte, who added that Nelson also owns a batting average over .400. “She’s one of the hardest workers, whether it’s a game or practice. She sets the tone for everyone.”
Nelson parlayed those abilities into a superb sophomore season. She went 21-2 with a minuscule 0.26 ERA, striking out 336 batters in 161 innings, while batting .420. Not one to rest on her laurels, the junior standout opened this season by firing a perfect game against Middleboro, striking out 17 batters in a 13-0 win.
Nelson has four perfect games in her career, and can sometimes sense that perfection is coming.
“It’s usually my wrists and my movement,” she said. “In order to play good, I have to feel everything in my body. If I can feel my legs moving, my arms, my wrists, that helps me out.” Nelson’s college recruitment ended recently when she gave a verbal commitment to attend Holy Cross in the fall of 2018.
“I fell in love with the school and the coaches. They are trying to build the program up,” Nelson said. “It’s a lot easier for me, I don’t have to worry about emailing 50 coaches anymore. I can just go out and enjoy playing.”