Former Honesdale softball star Marissa Gregory is the ace of Marywood's pitching staff

SCRANTON — When Marissa Gregory closed out her high school softball career at Honesdale in the spring of 2022, she walked away as one of the most decorated players in program history.

A fireballing right-handed pitcher, Gregory was a perennial Lackawanna League all-star both in the circle and at the plate. The highlight of her varsity tenure came when she led the Lady Hornets to within one win of the state finals in 2019.

After graduation, Gregory attended Eastern University for one year before transferring to Marywood where she quickly established herself as the ace of the Pacers’ rotation.

Last spring, Gregory helped lead Marywood to an overall record of 27-18. She finished the season with 14 wins, logging an ERA of 2.62 while amassing 96 strikeouts in 107 innings of work. She also twirled the second perfect game in school history.

For her efforts, Gregory earned first team all-league honors and was named Atlantic East Conference Rookie of the Year.

More: Honesdale softball team looks to bounce back after a disappointing 2023 season

Also by Kevin Edwards: Marywood ace Marissa Gregory earns Atlantic East Conference Rookie of the Year honors

This past week, Gregory started off her sophomore season in fine fashion when Marywood traveled to Florida for its annual pre-season exhibition slate. And thanks in large part to Gregory’s pitching, the Pacers posted a solid 5-4 mark.

“I am very excited,” she said. “I have high expectations for this year’s team. We are a very young overall, but we have so much potential to make program history.”

Weather permitting, Marywood will open its regular season slate Saturday on the road at Immaculata. Game 1 of this twinbill is scheduled for a noon start at East Whiteland Township.

Scintillating start

Marywood traveled to Florida March 11 for its annual spring break trip.

The Pacers’ first stop was Leesburg where they got off on the right foot with four wins in two days.

Gregory drew the starting nod in the opener against Earlham College and pitched brilliantly. She dominated the Quakers, piling up 15 strikeouts while allowing just three hits over eight innings in a 2-1 victory.

Gregory was back in the circle in the second game, this time earning a save as the Pacers defeated Lasell University by a score of 5-4. She worked three innings in relief fanning four and walking one.

Marywood’s second day of action was just as successful with back-to-back wins over Mount St. Mary’s and Roger Williams. Gregory notched another save in the opener and her second win in the nightcap.

The Pacers trekked to Clermont for the final days of their southern tour and struggled a bit against stiff competition. Gregory did earn a win versus Wisconsin-Stout, scattering seven hits across four innings for a 6-5 decision.

All told, Gregory posted a 1.89 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in seven appearances during the trip. She finished with a 3-2 record and two saves, pitching 38 innings and striking out 42. Opposition hitters managed just a .210 batting average against her.

Veteran head coach John Butash was thrilled with what he saw from his ace.

“Marissa had tremendous success in Florida,” he said. “Three wins and two saves is unprecedented for us. Her focus, dedication to her craft, and competitiveness are attributes that serve her well.”

For her part, Gregory is realistic in assessing the experience.

“My curveball, screwball and rise ball were working really well,” she said. “But, I noticed that I was starting to get tired toward the end of the week. Thirty-eight innings pitched is a lot in four days.“

Pre-season number one

There’s a real buzz around this year’s Marywood softball team.

In the annual pre-season coaches poll, the Pacers were the overwhelming favorite to win the Atlantic East with four first place votes. Marymount, Cabrini and Neumann received one vote each.

Gregory believes that a division title and a deep post season run are both attainable goals because the Pacers have such excellent chemistry.

“I played with majority of this team in travel ball and we’re very close,” she said. “We already have a lot of great memories together and I’m excited to get the season rolling. Just taking it day by day.”

From an individual perspective, Gregory is setting some ambitious goals for herself as a pitcher this spring.

“I would like to reach 250 career strikeouts,” she said. “I would also like to get my ERA below 1.50. I know that I’m really going to have to push myself and work hard.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Marywood University softball star Gregory is a Honesdale graduate