Softball: 2023 Season Outlook

The St. Luke’s softball team won its season opener at Cheshire Academy on Wednesday, March 29, with a thrilling 2-1 victory in extra innings.

An outstanding pitching performance from University of North Carolina commit Alex Bacher ’24 allowed the Cats just a single run. Lucy Millones ’27 had the game-winning hit and received the team’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) sticker for her outstanding performance.

The win started another season on the right foot for a team that hopes to defend its Fairchester Athletic Association title and challenge for the New England Championship this spring. 

The Storm lost its only game of the 2022 season in the NEPSAC final to Cushing Academy. It’s eager to get back to the championship game and avenge that loss.

Elizabeth Joseph, who returns for her sixth season as head coach, is excited to see what her current group of players can achieve: “We want the team to play with heart, passion, and integrity and continue to respect each other as well as the other teams that we play. Good sportsmanship is very important to our team. We also want to be regular season and FAA champs again this season. We fell just short of being NEPSAC champs last year, so we hope to claim that title this year. We also want the girls to have fun but continue to work hard, leaving it all out on the field every time.”

With Aidan Panian ’23 and Aurora Levesque ’24 as team captains, Joseph believes the team is in good hands: “Both of these young ladies are great leaders and softball players. We are looking for them to encourage their teammates to work hard, in a fun and positive way. The softball team has always had a family-like atmosphere, and we are confident that they will carry on that legacy.”

The Storm traveled to Florida during spring break for some warm-weather training, which Joseph found extremely beneficial: “Preseason was great! It was awesome to go to Florida again for our spring break trip. We prepared for our season down there by playing some excellent teams from Ohio, Virginia, and New Jersey. We have some exciting new talent in Ellie Fatsi ’26 and Leah Seitz ’26 so it was great to see them in action. Ellie is a hardworking player and always looks for ways to improve her game. She is a coachable kid, and we are excited to see what she’ll bring to the team this year. Leah will bring another strong bat to our lineup. We look forward to seeing her develop throughout the season.”

Panian echoes her coach's desire to return to the NEPSA championship and hopes to help guide her teammates toward achieving that goal: “I have a commitment to be our team's captain and a leader, making sure we stay on the right track all season, and I expect the same from everyone on the team. In addition, energy and passion from this team is what is going to take us all the way to a New England championship. I expect my teammates to have good energy in every game and support one another in order to achieve this goal.”

The Storm is in action next in its home opener against Greenwich Country Day School, on Monday, April 10, before it hosts Westover School on Wednesday, April 12.