Alvirne softball played their first game on Monday, playing host to the Pinkerton Astros in a true home game, unlike baseball which was “at” Pinkerton but playing just a couple hundred feet away.
Kenzie Pooler was in the circle for the Broncos, and coming off a year that Pooler helped lead Alvirne to a quarterfinal appearance, expectations were high for her coming in. She didn’t look terrible in the loss, either, although there was very clearly some rust that needed to be shaken off. Granted, Pinkerton already came in having played several scrimmages while all four of Alvirne’s were canceled due to rain or snow.
Throwing 139 pitches, Pooler ultimately allowed nine runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out five in the complete game loss, but the numbers don’t tell the full story for Pooler, as the strike zone was squeezed at times, forcing her to throw more pitches than necessary, and often times leading to hits and ultimately runs. She missed some spots at times, but her stat line doesn’t throw up as many red flags as it initially suggests. Especially when the runs of eight and five batters retired consecutively are factored in.
Seven of the nine Astros to hit managed to earn themselves a base hit, with four going for extra bases. The headliner for the Astros was Jenny Hiscox’s line-drive home run that seemed to hang up in the air and carry a lot further than initially anticipated off the bat.
Conversely, the Broncos struggled offensively against Astro hurler Madi Cunha, who picked up the complete game shutout, scattering two hits and two walks with the benefit of nine punchouts while not crossing the 100-pitch mark. Only one of those hits came after the first out was recorded, as Alyssa Abbot laced a double to left field to lead off the home half of the first, and the Broncos wouldn’t earn themselves another hit until a Cory Sevigny single in the fourth.
Alvirne was then slated to face off against perennial contenders in the Concord Crimson Tide up in Concord, but that game was postponed to Thursday, April 18 due to heavy rain in Concord.
The team’s Friday game against Goffstown was also rained out. That to a date to be determined. The pair of rainouts means that Alvirne will have to wait just a bit longer before seeing Ashley Ducharme’s first start in the circle since returning to the team. She pitched for JV her freshman year and has returned to the squad, this time at the Varsity level and is awaiting her first opportunity. That will likely come against either Portsmouth or Bishop Guertin in the early half of a four-game, five-day road stretch for the Broncos.
