Sisters miss becoming teammates
North Smithfield siblings hoped to share the softball field
NORTH SMITHFIELD – Alex Ledger had been waiting for years for this one last dance on the diamond.
This softball season as a North Smithfield High senior captain meant much more than the previous three, for a half-dozen reasons anyway, but – first and foremost – this would be the first and last chance for her and freshman sister Samantha to play on the same team.
That had never happened before. Blame the age difference.
“We had talked about being high school teammates for ages now, mostly because we always wanted to but never got the chance,” stated Alex, one of the premier catchers in the Ocean State. “This would have been the first time.”
It’s hard to say if it was any consolation, but it was rather ironic the duet discovered the cancellation of Alex’s final interscholastic campaign together while sitting on the living room couch on Thursday afternoon, April 23.
“We had talked about being high school teammates for ages now, mostly because we always wanted to but never got the chance. This would have been the first time.”
— North Smithfield senior Alex Ledger
“We were watching Governor (Gina) Raimondo’s press conference on TV, and when she announced that we were not going back to school for the rest of the school year, I knew right away we wouldn’t play,” Alex said. “I knew I wouldn’t get that one last chance to prove myself against all the teams we were going to face.
“Remember, this would have been our second year in Division I, and I wanted to show everybody what I was all about, what we as Northmen could do,” she continued. “I was heartbroken.”
Sam, apparently a solid pitcher, reacted instinctively upon watching Alex’s facial features.
“I actually was sitting to her left on the couch, and when (Raimondo) said that, I just put my hand on her shoulder and said, ‘Alex, I’m so sorry,’” Sam offered. “I mean, I was really bummed out, but more so for her; I could only imagine what she was going through. It was only my first season, and I was going to have others. She won’t, not in high school anyway.
“We had been talking about playing together in high school for ever,” she added. “I had really been looking forward to it – since I was in, like, sixth, seventh grade or so. Now I won’t be, and I’m really, really sad about it.”
When asked if she had seen her mentor shed some tears over that grim fact, Sam admitted she had, though only when Alex thought she swas alone. s “She doesn’t cry ordinarily – that’s just not her,” she nsaid, “but when I saw her, I started crying, too. This fwasn’t just about us, (as) a ybig part of what our family rhad been looking to do tofgether for so long. It’s been really hard to watch her go through something like this.” y Explained the elder Ledsger on sunny Thursday afternoon: “You know, it’s gorgeous outside right now, eand I wish so badly we were non the field. It seems like a dream like we’re not, or should I say nightmare? It sdoesn’t feel real. e “I wanted to earn All-State nand All-Division awards, not so much for me but because I cwanted to prove my value to others; I feel like I’ve been overlooked. I hit over .500 alast year, but I wanted to hit eover .600. More importantly, h I wanted to get my 100th career hit; I kind of knew I was close, like in the 70s or 80s, and it had never been a goal of mine, but it did late last year.
“But, more than anything, I wanted to catch my sister, I wanted us to try to win a division title. It wouldn’t have been easy, but that’s what we were striving for. I was so psyched about this team – we had four returning senior starters, including me, (fellow captain) Hope Trowbridge, (outfielder) Brooke Artruc and (pitcher/second baseman) Kayla Butler.
“We had really strong upperclassmen, and we only had a couple of freshmen coming out, Sam being one of them. I believe she was going to start at first, but she’s also a very good pitcher. I don’t know how (new coach Fran Clark) would have gone to her because of her age, but I thought she could be our ace; that’s how good she is.”
When asked if she was saying that just to be politically correct, then if the two ever fight like most siblings, she laughed, then confessed, “Oh, we fight, all the time, and it’s probably about crazy stuff. With us being quarantined, we’ll fight about chores, whose turn it is to do whatever, but we don’t really get physical, unless I through a pillow at her or something.”
She then picked up her gushing about her kid sister.
“When someone deserves praise, then that praise should be given,” stated Alex, whose sister also represents the Fire-N-Ice 16U travel club team. “The girl can play. She’s the best pitcher I’ve ever seen for her age, and I’m not kidding. Another thing that hurts a lot is my parents were looking forward to watching us, too.
“My mom (Kristin) was excited because this would be the first time as teammates, and my dad (Joe) had been coaching the middle school team, but he gave it up last spring so he could go to the games.
“Now there are none. The whole family is crushed.”
No one understands that better than Paul Mercier, her former North Smithfield coach who now is an assistant for the Community College of Rhode Island softball team
“Alex means the absolute world to me; she was a fantastic catcher, but also did a little pitching for me if we needed her in a pinch,” he noted. “In fact, last year, she was in the circle when we upset Cumberland at their place. It was our first year ever in the top division, and we had a freshman pitcher who I didn’t want to throw to the wolves right away.
“I told Alex she was going to pitch a few days before, and I know she was pumped up for it. She ended up pitching a complete game and we won, 7-1. They had that (pitcher) Abbey Vallely, who is excellent; she pitched a great game, too, but Alex was out of this world.
“She’s so mentally tough … and tough as nails,” he continued. “She’s a softball player through and through; she’s got it all. All of these high school and college coaches know who she is, that she’s great defensively and hit for power. I don’t think anyone in the state can hit like she can.
“I know Alex, and I know how hard she took it.
The Ledger sisters nevertheless are coping with the cancellations with a couple of hobbies.
“I’ll try to distract myself by going out running or fishing; yes, my sister and I love it,” Alex said. “We’ll also go out and play catch, but if she’s pitching to me, thoughts of the season come flooding back. That makes it hard. That’s when I just have to think about us getting ready for playing this summer, which we both really hope we can.
“We’re doing some training and exercises, some hitting, to prepare. I want to play this summer for the New England Phoenix Gold (U18 travel team); I really hope that’s not canceled, too.”
Alex also has something rather big on the horizon to keep her mind on the right path – her life is going to change significantly in the coming months when she begins school at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
She indicated when she’s not studying civil engineering, she’ll be focused on battling for the starting catching spot.
“I visited at the beginning of the school year, and I just loved the setup of the campus,” Alex said. “It looks like a city, but it’s not. There are a ton of really old buildings, very prestigious looking. We (Alex and other recruits or future students) went on a guided tour of the campus, which is beautiful, and after that, I met the head coach, Amber Maisonet.
“She took me around to the athletic venues, and because RPI is (an NCAA Division I) school in both men’s and women’s hockey, all buildings and arenas have to be Division I quality,” she added. “Were they ever. I was very impressed with the softball facilities.
“I took the weekend to think about it, then I texted Coach and said, ‘I love the campus and I want to be a part of your team.’ She texted me back and told me, ‘That’s great. Let me know when you get accepted.’ I received the acceptance letter in the mail about a month later.
“As for school, what I want to do someday is probably work in the structural phase of engineering, like designing or building bridges or other structures. I think that would be fun, but stressful, too.
“I’m going to miss playing with my (high school) teammates, especially Sam, but I guess I have a lot ahead of me, too.”