Last spring, the Norwood Softball team was able to finish the regular season above .500 with a 10-8 record earning themselves a 20 seed going into the Division State Softball Tournament. Unfortunately, the Mustangs went down in defeat to Stoughton in the first round and before they even got into a rhythm their season was over. 

“As a coach, you are always looking to win your league and earn a tournament berth,” Norwood Coach Caitlin Nottebart said. “We don’t want to get into the tournament and lose in the first round again, so we’ve got to be ready to play. In order to capture the League Championship, we’re going to have to win the close games and beat the teams that we are supposed to beat.”

Norwood will technically only have one non-league game against Medfield, which is also in the Tri-Valley League with Norwood but in a different division. The rest of the Mustangs schedule (15 games) will revolve around league foes in the large division of the TVL.

Starting in the circle for Norwood will be last year’s number three pitcher in Sarah Randall, who had great success for the Mustangs last year as a sophomore. According to Nottebart, the junior is one who continually battles and is a very smart pitcher who can hit her spots. In addition to being a student of the game, Randall has added another pitch to her arsenal this year, now throwing three different pitches. 

Although the team’s ace was the one who opened the season for Norwood with a win, she hasn’t fully been herself just yet.

“Sarah suffered an injury during the volleyball season and she is still recovering,” the softball coach said. “She did pitch the first game, but with the second being a back-to-back game I didn’t want to push her, although she told me that she was good to go.”

Another junior athlete to grace the Mustang roster is Lilly Cordani, the team’s mainstay catcher. While playing behind the plate is her main position, she does know the pithing side as well and was Norwood’s game two starter. Despite losing, Nottebart said it wasn’t the fault of Cordani, (who will be looking to take some pitching lessons to improve her hurling skill, the team behind her committed too many errors and that didn’t help.

Cordani’s sister (Pauline – last year’s number one pitcher for Norwood) will be able to give her some pointers when in the circle. While Cordani will do anything to help the team, her moving from behind the plate into the circle creates an entire domino effect with the starting lineup. With Cordani moving into the pitching position, senior captain and centerfielder CiCi Indeck will take over the catching duties and shortstop Maureen Larkee will move into the centerfield position. 

“Lilly is probably the most athletic kid on our team,” Nottebart said. “She’s not afraid to make the throw if someone is trying to steal on her and she is very knowledgeable about calling the game.” 

Larkee, who is only a sophomore, is an all-around athlete that led the team last year as a freshman with 5 homeruns. Last spring, she started at the hot corner but has been moved over to the shortstop position this year and will patrol the outfield, her natural and most comfortable position when Cordani pitches. At the plate, she is a line-drive hitter who smokes the ball all over the field.

Joining Larkee on the offensive front will be Randall, a power hitter who clubbed 45 homeruns last spring, and Cordani, who will look to get things started as the team’s leadoff hitter. 

Senior captain Ava Amato, a four-year starter at second base, has been crushing the ball during scrimmages but unfortunately, she was unavailable during the team’s first two games due to previously scheduled college visits. Indeck is another four-year varsity player but only found her way to the starting lineup last year. The Mustangs third captain, CeCe Becker, is yet another four-year athlete and has been improving on her game each and every year.

Sophomore right fielder Olivia Clark has been impressive thus far during the early part of the season.

“I am really excited to see what she can do for us this year,” Nottebart said. Unfortunately, she currently has a concussion and is not able to play. She has a great work ethic and knows exactly where to get the ball in cutoffs. She is a smart player with great instincts in the field.”

At the time of this writing, Norwood found themselves at 1-1, looking to compete for the TVL Title, their first goal. Nottebart knows that Hopkinton and Norton are always solid and Medfield, Westwood, and themselves will be in the running to hoist the league trophy at the conclusion of the regular season. Following their first goal, Norwood is hoping to get back into the tournament and having a much better outcome this year than last year.