'She's smart': Senior ace powers improved Fairhaven softball to third win in four games
FAIRHAVEN — Arden Bradshaw isn’t going to overpower hitters.
But with mixed speeds and varied placement, the Fairhaven senior ace keeps the opposition off balance.
Bradshaw struck out seven seven, walked two and allowed just one hit on Tuesday morning to power the Blue Devils to a 17-0 win over Bourne in five innings at Hastings Middle School.
“I might not be the fastest pitcher out there, but I try,” said Bradshaw, who split time on the mound last year. “I move the ball around a lot to where they cannot hit it. There are a lot of ground balls or pop ups. There aren’t many big hits off me. That’s the big difference. I try to see how far I can push the batter and umpire to find the limit.”
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Fairhaven senior Sydney Merusi added, “She’s been doing amazing. We couldn’t ask for anyone better right now.”
Fairhaven head coach Cathy Silva said that Bradshaw’s consistency on the mound has set the tone for the Blue Devils.
“She’s consistent. She’s smart. She hits her spots,” Silva said. “She changes her speed even though she’s not overpowering. Against the heavy hitters, she’ll change her speed so they won’t get the full contact on it. She’s done tremendous for us on the mound this year.”
Bradshaw said that her focus every time she steps on the mound is to be consistent.
“There is no day when I’m off,” she said. “It’s pretty average and the defense is helping a lot.”
Through the first six games, the Blue Devils have come out on top three times. They had just six total wins a year ago.
“We have some youth,” said Silva, who started one freshman and three sophomores against Bourne. “We have some experience and we’re getting better. This year we have more wins early on to show for it where last year we didn’t.”
Merusi said that players are so supportive of each other.
“I think we’ve kept the spirit up and we keep picking each other up which keeps the confidence up,” she said. “I think we’ve improved a lot this year and people are coming into how they can be. The experience is definitely growing and I think it’s going to continue to grow throughout the season.”
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Devils erupted for 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning as they batted around the entire order twice. Fairhaven recorded eight of its 16 hits in the game during the first inning.
“We took advantage,” said Silva, noting that Bourne’s ace was away on vacation. “It was good for us to get some hitting down and some confidence up. They have been working really hard. They’ve improved a lot.”
WHAT IT MEANS
With the win, the Blue Devils improve to 3-3. After opening the season 0-2, Fairhaven has won three of its last four games. The loss dropped Bourne to 1-1.
STATS
Merusi went 3-for-3 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored while Bradshaw was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ava Morrison went 3-for-3 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored while Aylin Haworth was 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and four runs scored. Stella Zangao was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Elaine Monroe was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Bourne;000;00 —0
Fairhaven;(13)30;1x—17
WP: Arden Bradshaw
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Fairhaven softball beats Bourne for third win of 2024
