New faces, new coach debut in 2024
THE MELROSE HIGH softball team opens their season on Monday on the road and will host Reading on Wednesday at 4:15 at Pine Banks. (photo by Raj Das edphotos.com)
After press time: Melrose falls to Winchester (April 8)
By STEVEN MARTELLUCCI
MELROSE—The Melrose High softball team returns to their 2024 season this coming Monday when they travel to Belmont for a 4:15 p.m. season opener road game.
They return with a new head coach in Melrose High alum Steve Turner, class of 1998. A special education teacher at Melrose Middle School, coach Turner takes over for Kelly Smith.
This will be the first-ever varsity head-coaching job for Turner as he was the Melrose assistant softball coach from 2008-2011 and Melrose junior varsity coach from 2012-2014. His assistant coach will be a familiar face, as it Melrose girls’ hockey head coach Frank Sorrenti.
“I could net be happier to have Frank as an assistant with all of his softball coaching experience,” stated Turner, as Sorrenti coached at Austin Prep.
Coach Turner looks to turn the team’s fortunes around from their 5-14 season in 2023. He welcomes back eight veterans from last year’s squad led by the two junior captains Ava Viola and Paige Crovo. Viola, a first baseman, is the team’s lone returning Middlesex League Freedom division All-Star while Crovo is a talented shortstop. The other 11th-graders back are Ella Bonacorsi (third base), Maggie Turner (center field), Riley Jones (pitcher), and Lucy O’Neil (catcher). Brynn Baker (outfielder), Anna Scalsani (infielder) are the two sophomores returning. Turner inherits a team that graduated just three seniors.
“We will have a young team,” acknowledged the coach, who was a baseball player at Melrose High. “But a lot of our players have much experience since we have some three-year players.”
As for what he hopes to implement with his squad? “The emphasis will be on a change of mind set. We will try to grow their mind set, and we know we have to grind things out.”
Turner will try to take an aggressive strategy as far as stealing bases and bunting players over, as his team does not have a lot of power hitters to manufacture runs. “Our goal is to get better every day. The top goal would be to make it into the states.”
With the power rankings system and the strength of the Middlesex League, Turner knows that his team can still qualify for the tournament even with a losing record.
Melrose will play a 19-game regular-season schedule this spring with 14 league games. Melrose plays two non-league games against Swampscott and Whittier Tech and then plays Danvers in the other non-league contest.
Melrose’s home opener is on Wednesday, April 3 against Reading at Pine Banks at 4:15.
