United as one: Young Quincy/NQ softball team taking on first season together
QUINCY – On the high school football turf, Quincy High and North Quincy High are classic Thanksgiving rivals.
The clashes intensify when the two schools cross paths, regardless of which sport is played, despite sharing athletic director Kevin Mahoney. Except the softball diamond. There's no friendly fire at Mitchell McCoy Field.
Quincy and North Quincy joined forces this spring, combining their softball programs into the newly dubbed "QNQ" co-op.
“The dynamic is good," coach Leann McColgan said. "They get along together. They joke around together. So far, they’re clicking well.”
Along with the rebrand came fresh, updated uniforms and a new-look lineup. One line of consistency is found in the dugout as McColgan, the former Quincy coach, and Suzanna Friel, the former North Quincy coach, stayed aboard to run the team as co-head coaches.
The team came together as both programs held meetings in the fall to gauge students' interest in playing softball this spring, after graduation claimed approximately six players from Quincy's roster and five from North Quincy's.
“We had 10 or 11 girls per school (show interest)," said McColgan. "We knew, for (each) softball team, that’s just not enough.”
The co-op's roster now lists 20 players – four seniors, eight juniors, three sophomores and five freshman all working together on the fly.
“It’s good to have the numbers," Friel said. "If we need to put somebody out there, we can, whereas in the past, we only had nine (players).”
Despite this being the co-op's inaugural season, this collection of players has a history of sharing the field together: “This was basically their summer team from last year," McColgan said. "Having them come together, it’s really only new for high school.”
Sophomore Thea Bandzak pitches, sophomore Gianna Bassett catches and sophomore Anna Crump starts at shortstop, with junior Chloe Melchin to her right at third base, junior Bridget Colleton at second and senior Caroline O'Donnell (a returning Patriot League All-Star) at first.
More: VOTE: Who is the South Shore's softball preseason Player of the Year? (32 choices)
The co-op has started the new season 1-2, winning the season-opener vs. Brockton, 17-1, and following up with consecutive shutout losses against Pembroke and Marshfield in league play. Individually last year, North Quincy went 7-13 and Quincy went 0-20.
“We all have to learn," senior outfielder Mary Saccoach said. "Everyone’s trying new positions so it’s a lot to deal with, but it’s really good. We have a lot of young players stepping up early and they’re playing big positions. It’s good for us because, for years to come, they’re going to be 10 times better because they’re on the field earlier.”
"A lot of (improvement comes with) building confidence," McColgan said. "We just said (in the huddle), ‘It’s OK to make a mistake, but you’ve got to be able to move on from it.’ We say during practice to try something new. If you’ve never dove out for a ball, try it – try it in practice, try it in a game, make a mistake, brush it off and try it again.”
One missing piece is Paige Mann, a senior outfielder (and team captain) who will rejoin the lineup once she recovers from a knee injury suffered during the Quincy High girls basketball team's run to the Division 1 Sweet 16.
"Even though it's a new program, it’s a big loss felt for her not being able to play," McColgan said.
For Saccoach, a North Quincy High student, Mann is not only a new teammate mixed into co-op's roster shuffle, but a soon-to-be neighbor in the outfield.
"It's good having the most talent we possibly can," Saccoach said. "And, it's good we have the coaches from both teams. I think it makes sure everyone gets looked at more, and gets more work in."
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy, North Quincy high school softball in first season together
