CLOSING IN ON GREATNESS
Unbeaten Coventry believes this is the year that it takes that last, championship step
Coventry softball coach Jeff Lahouse has led his team to three state semifinals since taking over in 2017. Last year, the Patriots lost to North Branford, 4-2 in the Class S semis. In 2018, they fell to Holy Cross. In 2017, they were beating St. Paul 8-2 — then lost 9-8. The other two years — 2021 and 2019 — the Patriots advanced to the quarterfinals. “It is our goal to take Jeff to the championship,” said Coventry’s senior catcher Remington Casida, who will play at Endicott College next year.
Anchored by Casida, four other seniors and junior pitcher Elizabeth Mitchell, Coventry is 18-0 this season, currently ranked No. 1 in Class S. The Patriots will face a tough Class LL opponent in NFA (12-5) Wednesday but Lahouse wants to get his players ready for the Class S state tournament, which starts May 30 with first-round play.
“The undefeated thing — I told them — it is what it is, if we go undefeated, I don’t care, I really don’t,” said Lahouse, in his sixth season, on Monday after Coventry beat Windsor Locks 14-0 in a five-inning game. “All those games that got us here are behind us. NFA’S our next one.”
Mitchell has pitched all 18 games and has 173 strikeouts in 111 innings with a 0.37 ERA. She’s also one of the team’s best hitters (.482 batting average, 27 hits, 20 RBI).
“She throws harder (this season),” Casida said. “Her pitches move a little more. She’s always been consistent.”
“These girls have been playing together for a while,” Lahouse said. “The pitcher and the catcher, Liz and Remy, they play year round. Remy is a phenomenal catcher. She calls the games. Her and Liz are on the same page. That alone right there takes care of itself.
“Then you’ve got all the hitters. We’ve got some power.”
Senior first baseman Lily Rand hit a grand slam Monday, her first of the season, and her third home run. Center fielder
Julia Boya is batting .491 with 27 hits and shortstop Lindsay Harrington has a .395 batting average with 19 RBI, including three against Windsor Locks Monday, while Casida has 14 hits and 15 RBI.
“We’ve been all playing together since we’ve been little,” Mitchell said. “We have a bunch of travel players, girls who put in the work all season long. I knew the season was going to be good but I’m shocked we have been doing this well, to this level.”
The Patriots have had close games in the NCCC — they beat Rockville in back-to-back games 2-1 and 1-0 and Ellington 2-1.
The question is: will this
translate to being able to win under pressure in the higher reaches of the tournament? Last year, it was a struggle against North Branford.
“We were down 4-1 and my pitcher had a no-hitter going,” Lahouse said. “It was mistakes on the field — they didn’t make them all season — it was wild.
“North Branford, they bunted and we made the mistakes. Our style is to put pressure on the other team and make them make mistakes. They got us in our own game.”
North Branford, last year’s Class S runner-up, is currently the No. 2 seed at 17-1,withitsonlylosstonfa.
“We’re working a lot harder this year, the seniors especially,” Rand said. “And we want to finish strong.”