RUNNING START: Hun School softball star Joey Crivelli runs to first base in action last spring. Junior infielder Crivelli figures to be a key player for the Raiders this spring as they look to improve on the 10-6 record they posted last season. Hun opens its 2012 season by playing at rival Peddie on March 28. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

On paper, the Hun School softball team looks to be a battle-tested unit, losing only two seniors to graduation from a club that went 10-6 last spring.

But those two graduates left a huge void as one, Meghan Hayes, was the team’s workhorse ace pitcher and the other, first baseman MacKenzie Pyne, emerged as a clutch hitter and superb leader for the Raiders.

“We have a lot of returning players but we are still young,” said longtime head coach Kathy Quirk, who is in her 36th season at the helm of the program and guided the Raiders to the state Prep A semifinals last spring.

The team’s youth is most evident in its mound corps as junior Danielle Beal and freshman Caitlin Hoagland will be handling the pitching duties.

“It will be a rotation; it may even be an in-game rotation where one goes three innings and the other goes the last three or four,” said Quirk, whose team starts the 2012 season by playing at rival Peddie on March 28.

“Neither throws super-fast. They need to throw strikes and get the ball into play and let the defense do its work behind them.”

The Raiders boast a solid defense with junior Joey Crivelli at third base, freshman Julia Blake at shortstop, senior Stefanie Fox at second, and sophomore Cameron McNair at first along with Beal and Hoagland. Junior star Carey Million will be the starting catcher with freshman Vicky Leach backing her up.

The outfield will be the same as last year with sophomore Alexa Fares in left field, sophomore Kristen Manochio in center, and senior Emily Kuchar in right, with junior Christina Kilgariff as the top reserve.

Quirk believes her team can produce some offensive firepower. “I think we can score runs,” said Quirk.

“Beal is hitting the ball well; Blake is also hitting well. We will have Million in the middle of the lineup. Crivelli is quick on the bases. McNair has had some big hits in scrimmages.”

In Quirk’s view, her team could do some big things this spring if it grows up fast.

“We are young and lacking some varsity experience,” said Quirk. “I think we can hold our own. We need to be confident in ourselves. We need to throw strikes and play good defense.”