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06/18/2024 12:03 PMSo much about being a softball pitcher is about trusting your own individual performance and abilities, but you also have to have unequivocal belief in those around you sharing the same uniform. For Gabby Blanchard, she wore many hats and draped herself in success with the belief and support of her teammates.
The North Haven softball senior pitcher, who will be going on to continue her journey on the diamond at Regis College next year, grew up dancing for a decade and doing gymnastics for four years before getting involved with softball around the age of 8. She has been hooked ever since. This spring as a captain, she finished with an earned-run average below 2.00 with 18 wins over the course of her last two campaigns. Additionally, she helped the Nighthawks make the SCC Tournament final for the second-straight year and finish with 20 wins as a team for 2024.
“I love that it is a team sport and not always about the individual and how you have to work together to produce success. I also like the environment of it. This group of girls I have stuck with through the years going back to travel ball,” says Gabby. “My teammates and coaches have been huge for me. You have to trust your teammates behind you, especially as a pitcher. Also having the coaches’ support and belief in you has given me the confidence to do what I know I can do.”
Having a “C” stitched onto her jersey this past spring, Gabby took the appointment to heart and saw it as more than simply a title. She made it a point to establish herself as a selfless teammate anyone from any grade could confide in for strength.
“Being a captain was a big honor; it is not only a label, but it is a job,” Gabby says. “I wanted to become someone the underclassmen looked up to and be able to follow in my footsteps. I knew I needed to do that to help the team be successful.”
Gabby essentially holds the stop watch for the game clock of softball in the circle, which she really enjoys. She notes that while there are certainly white-knuckle moments out there, controlling the pace of play allows her to think critically before acting.
“My favorite part of pitching is probably everyone else’s least favorite part, and that is having control of the game and its pace,” says Gabby. “I also like how if I am not doing well out there, my teammates will still trust me. It can be tough in those high pressure games and moments because it can seem like it all falls on you, and it is all your fault.”
When it comes to those moments where the rubber meets the road, Gabby simply takes it all in stride and slowly but surely works her way out of any trouble one pitch at a time. She also goes about her business with opulent optimism.
“During games, I take things one at a time and do not think ahead,” says Gabby. “I just go at-bat by at-bat and inning by inning and worry about what I can do to help our team win. I also make sure to think about what I want to do with the ball before I put it in play. I always make sure to keep a positive mindset out there, too.”
Gabby is so grateful for the opportunity afforded to her with the Nighthawks for the last four seasons. She explains it goes well beyond the wins, postseason berths, and division crowns, because the girls had fun while doing it all and gaining valuable connections.
“North Haven softball has been the best four years of my life, and I could not have wanted to play with any other program,” Gabby says. “The environment the coaches and players have helped create has allowed us to be successful while having so much fun, which is important to me.”
Additionally on offense the last two years, Gabby stole 21 bases and hit 15 RBI to the tune of a .336 batting average. Even with those impressive stats in hand, Head Coach Vinny Cretella notes her impact went well beyond her glove and her bat.
“Gabby Blanchard was a three-year starter who was extremely athletic and could play any position,” says Cretella. “She was a senior captain who led by example and always played the game hard, leaving it out on the field. She has a cannon for an arm and is extremely intelligent with a high IQ for the game. Gabby’s ability to stay composed in intense and high pressure situations on and off the field helped her lead her team through tough innings. Gabby’s presence as a captain will be sorely missed on and off the field.”
There is no rest for the weary in the life of a high school athlete, and Gabby was certainly not an exception to that rule. Though it was certainly a benefit, as it taught her that every precious moment of the day certainly counts–as do the close by colleagues you spend them with.
“I learned that you have to manage your time wisely because as a student-athlete, you do not get much free time,” says Gabby. “You are constantly going from classes to practice and games, and so then you have to get your work done at the end of that. I also learned that you must keep your close friends close together like family because they’ll be the ones to stick around.”