The North Haven softball team entered the 2022 season with plenty of young players on its roster. However, Head Coach Karen Castagnola said the youth has been a blessing for the squad, and she’s hoping that as the Nighthawks continue to mesh as a collective unit, they will able that parlay that into postseason success this spring.

North Haven started its season by winning two of its first three games during the opening week of play, posting victories against Mercy (21-2) and Jonathan Law (4-1). In last week’s action, the Nighthawks took a 3-1 loss at Hand on April 11 and a 4-2 road loss to Hand two days later before bouncing back with a 7-6 home win against Lauralton Hall on April 16, putting the team’s record at 3-3 on the year.

The Nighthawks were held to one hit in their loss to Foran. The Lions broke a 1-1 tie by scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to get the win.

North Haven’s offense had 9 hits in the defeat against Hand. Junior Kayla Balisciano led the way with 3 hits, including a double, for the Nighthawks. Senior captain Caroline Toni had 2 hits in the game. The Tigers scored 3 runs in the third inning, and that proved the difference in the outcome.

North Haven finished its week by claiming a 7-6 victory over Lauralton Hall in its first home game of the season, winning the contest in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore Gabby Blanchard had a home run and a double with 4 RBI in the win. Freshman Alyssa DiGiovanna drove home 3 runs on a pair of two infield groundouts and a swinging bunt. Sophomore Reece Hebert earned the win on the mound for the Nighthawks.

Coach Castagnola said that North Haven came out cold on offense against Foran, but that the bats started to heat up as the week went on. Whether it was a win or a loss, Castagnola commended this year’s club for being competitive in every game that it’s played thus far.

This season, North Haven is being led by four senior captains in Toni, who plays center field; Anna Schepisi, a left fielder; Megan Cross, who plays first base; and Jamie Swiatek, who plays second base. Toni and Swiatek were All-SCC Second Team selections last season. Coach Castagnola said that all four captains have grown tremendously as leaders and are at their strongest when they’re all together.

“They all bring out the best in each other. They’re great captains and great leaders. They led our fall ball team. They have been in contact all season,” said Castagnola. “This is a great group, a very talented group, that seems to get along very well. They have a good time together.”

Joining Cross and Swiatek on the infield is junior shortstop Maria Lockery, along with Blanchard, who plays third base. Balisciano is North Haven’s starting catcher. With Schepisi in left and Toni in center, DiGiovanna and junior Juliana Galasso are both seeing time in right field for the Nighthawks this year.

Coach Castagnola said that North Haven’s offense was impressive at the outset of the season and, despite the two losses last week, she has a lot of confidence in the Nighthawks’ lineup.

“We came out hitting this year. We came out strong the first couple of games,” Castagnola said. “We’ve hit bumps on the road. But they’re strong hitters and we really hit the ball well in the first few games.”

On the mound, North Haven is relying on a trio of sophomores this season. Coach Castagnola said that each member of the trio brings something different to the Nighthawks’ rotation.

Hebert is a low-ball pitcher who gets a lot of movement on her pitches. Castagnola said that Blanchard has a bit of a quirky motion, but that she gets great speed on her throws. Ninamarie DeMennato is the lefty pitcher on the squad. Castagnola said that DeMennato also has good speed on her pitches and feels that will only improve as she works on her command.

Along with the sophomore pitchers, North Haven also has several players who are making their varsity debuts this spring. While the Nighthawks may be young, Castagnola said that they have a strong roster from top to bottom and that, as they gain more experience on the field, success will follow.

“It makes us stronger. Individually, we’re so strong. We came out so strong this year as a unit. We really showed up to play this year,” said Castagnola. “Not a lot of them have varsity experience. We’re learning the speed of the game. We’re getting there.”

After winning a division title last year, Coach Castagnola is looking for North Haven to repeat that feat this season and then make some noise in the playoffs. As the Nighthawks continue to come together as a group, Castagnola believes that they have all the tools to be a contender both this year and beyond.

“We’re going to try to go for the division title. We’re going to shoot for the State Tournament. Overall, we want to learn how to play as a unit,” Castagnola said. “I’m happy with this crew. They play hard, they work hard. I think they’re going to be just fine in the future. I don’t have any worries at all.”

The athletes in the North Haven softball program include senior captains Megan Cross, Anna Schepisi, Jamie Swiatek, and Caroline Toni; juniors Kayla Balisciano, Ava Ferriouolo, Juliana Galasso, Maria Lockery, and Mia O’Brien; sophomores Grace Battipaglia, Avery Berney, Gabby Blanchard, Izzy Blanchard, Ava Carlson, Ninamarie DeMennato, Reanna Fagan, and Reece Hebert; and freshmen Liliana Anderson, Alexandra Anquillare, Alexis Butler, Lana Cervero, Isabella Crouch, Alyssa DiGiovanna, Alyssa Ferriouolo, Makayla Mongillo, and Ava Shamett.