'Elsie is just crushing it': New pitcher Testa has Abington softball flying at 11-0

ABINGTON – We did not include Abington's Elsie Testa among the Patriot Ledger/Enterprise's 90 South Shore Softball Players to Watch this spring.

An oversight? Maybe. But an understandable one, given that the sophomore pitcher was a bit of an unknown outside of the Green Wave program.

Testa had gotten some action as both an eighth-grader and a freshman, including in a playoff loss last spring. But she was behind All-Scholastic pitcher Shannon Varvitsiotis, who made 49 career starts as a multi-year ace.

With Varvitsiotis having graduated, Testa finally has stepped into the spotlight and is delivering at a dizzying pace. She (and the Green Wave) are 11-0 after Tuesday's 8-1 victory over a solid East Bridgewater team. Testa came into the game with a 1.16 ERA and lowered that after pitching a six-hitter that was smudged only by Olivia Atkins' RBI single in the third inning.

"Elsie is just crushing it," senior catcher/cleanup hitter Kasie Bailey raved. "I couldn't be more proud of her. She's such a good spirit to have on the team. She's such a go-getter. The future is so bright for her."

"Shannon got most of" the work last year, Testa said. "I would go in sometimes, but I didn't pitch a lot. I would pitch at practice and I did pitching lessons a lot. I'm pretty proud (of what I've done this season). I worked hard during the offseason, so I came prepared. I'm really happy with the start that we've had."

Testa, who had fanned 29 batters over her last two starts (wins over Rockland and Norwell), wasn't overpowering in this one, striking out just four with as many walks. But she was adept at pitching out of trouble as EB (6-3) stranded nine baserunners. Abington did the same.

Testa's first test came in the top of the first when the Vikings put runners on second and third with one out. Testa responded with a foul out and a strikeout, and the Green Wave pushed across five runs in the bottom of the inning to take immediate control.

"She's the quickest pitcher in Mass.," Abington coach Jenna Olem said. "She just has a really good pace and she's very level-headed. If she gives up a walk or a hit she doesn't get flustered."

More: 'I knew we were special': East Bridgewater baseball emerging as a contender at midway point

"I don't let things like that bother me," Testa said of jams. "I just say, 'All right, guys, we'll get the next out.' And I can really trust my team behind me; I know they're going to make plays. And Kasie will call time and talk to me and get me back into the game if I'm flustered."

After Testa escaped trouble early, Abington's bats went right to work, taking a 5-0 lead on RBI singles by Bailey and Malia Goldberg, a bases-loaded walk by Maddie McDonald and a 2-run single by No. 7 hitter Riley Agnew. McDonald, who entered the game hitting .389, was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Bailey was 2-for-4, which lowered her .575 average.

Abington is averaging 10.2 runs per game and has scored in double figures five times. The Green Wave had eight hits in this one. They had 19 against Norwell in their previous outing.

"I think 1-9 (through the order) we can do damage, which is super helpful," Olem said. "And even in the outs, we're extending our at-bats and battling and fighting every pitch. I love to see that."

Abington's offensive highlight against EB was Brenna Howley's inside-the-park home run with two outs in the third. She hit a sinking liner toward the left-field foul line that deflected off the glove of the Vikings' diving outfielder and kicked into foul territory as Howley sped around the bases for a 6-1 lead.

"Oh, it felt great," said Howley, who came in batting a team-best .579. "I wasn't really paying attention (to the flight of the ball) because I don't really like to look where the ball goes. But it felt great off the bat and I saw it (bounce away from the left fielder) and I said, 'I'm just going to keep going.'"

That's pretty much the way it's gone for Abington this season as the Green Wave is off to their best start in recent memory. Olem's team has won five total playoff games over the last three seasons, but this club could have the highest ceiling since the 2018 team went 25-2 and claimed the Division 3 state crown.

"I wasn't sure (how we were going to do) going into the year, but now, I've never been so happy," Howley said. "We have such a great team, and our chemistry is amazing."

Abington came roaring out of the starting gate this spring by beating a fine Braintree team, 8-0, in Game 1. Testa threw a 2-hitter with 12 strikeouts in that one, making a big opening statement.

"We knew (Braintree) was going to be good; they're always good," Testa said. "After that game I got a little more confidence and was like, 'We can do this.'"

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Pitcher Elise Testa has Abington High softball at 11-0