(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) caption: MEGA MILLION: Hun School softball star Carey Million slugs the ball in a game earlier this spring. Sophomore catcher Million’s play behind the plate and offensive production has helped Hun get off to an 8-3 start. The Raiders head into postseason play this week when they compete in the Mid Atlantic Prep League playoffs on May 14 at Lawrenceville before facing Peddie in the state Prep A tournament semifinals on May 17.

Hun Softball Growing Into Formidable Team; Primed to Do Damage in Postseason Action

Bill Alden

Kathy Quirk felt an uncomfortable sense of deja vu last Friday as her Hun School softball team struggled in the bottom of the seventh inning at Lawrenceville School.

After having seen Lawrenceville rally to beat Hun in last year’s state Prep A tournament and in a regular season game earlier this spring, longtime head coach Quirk was concerned when she saw a 9-3 lead dwindle to two runs in the latest installment of the rivalry between the local foes. “It was a little scary,” said Quirk. “We made some errors.”

But this time, Hun held on and pulled out a sweet 9-7 win over the Big Red.

“It was a big morale booster, we kept our focus,” said Quirk, whose club improved to 8-3 with the triumph. “It was like getting a monkey off of our backs.”

Hun’s improved batting attack helped it break through against the Big Red.

“We hit the ball well; it just seems like we are clicking,” said Quirk. “We always spend a lot of time on hitting and this group is really hitting the ball. There is not as many strikeouts as in the past. We only had two on Friday.”

Junior Stefanie Fox has been clicking at the plate and in the field, where she was recently moved to shortstop.

“Stefanie’s bat has come on strong,” added Quirk. “She is doing a nice job at shortstop. Each game feels a little more comfortable. She got a lot of hard balls hit her way on Friday.”

Quirk is very comfortable with the play of sophomore catcher Carey Million.

“Million is doing a great job,” said Quirk. “She threw girls out at third and second when Lawrenceville base-runners made mistakes. She sees the whole field when she is catching. She is doing nicely offensively; she had two hits on Friday.”

While the Hun roster is dotted with younger players, featuring seven sophomores and five freshmen, the team’s two seniors, pitcher Meghan Hayes and first baseman MacKenzie Pyne, have set the tone for the team’s success.

“Meghan is really coming on strong, this is the right time for her,” asserted Quirk.

“She feels comfortable with her teammates; she knows that she doesn’t have to strike out everybody. Pyne is really stepping up, she went 2-for-3 on Friday with an RBI. She has never missed a practice or a game in four years and in her first two years she didn’t get into any games. It is the same thing for Meghan; she has never missed a practice or a game in four years. They get our iron woman awards.”

With the Mid-Atlantic Prep League playoffs slated for May 14 at Lawrenceville and the state Prep A tournament starting days later, Quirk is hoping her team can do some damage in postseason play.

“If we continue to hit, who knows what can happen,” said Quirk, whose club faces Blair in the MAPL semis and then faces Peddie in the Prep A semis on May 17.

“The girls have worked hard and grown so much. Things don’t come easy for us. We dig a hole in some games and in other games we get a lead and then let teams back in. We have 17 players and only nine are playing a lot but the others are always there working hard.”

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