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09/15/2024 07:04 PMCompleting an undefeated season in any sport at any level is a challenge. Having no blemishes on the record for the entire campaign means constant cohesiveness, 100% effort of all squad members, and never backing down from a challenge. For the first time in program history, the Adams Middle School softball team completed not only one perfect season, but back-to-back undefeated campaigns. The girls won 24 straight games in 2023 and 2024 in the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC).
Head Coach Ed Hobson, who has been coaching the team on the diamond since 2003, experienced his squad go undefeated in 2008 and 2016 but never back-to-back in the past. The idea of teamwork and being unified has always been an ideal that he’s instilled in his athletes.
“We practice every afternoon from mid-March through the first week of June. Our goals were the same as always,” said Hobson. “We once again had the expectation of developing strong relationships and team chemistry and making each player better. We certainly did not expect another undefeated year.”
The 2023 squad sported several experienced players that helped lead to zeros across the stat sheet in the loss column. Sarah O’Brien (pitcher/third base) went 12-0 with an earned run average (ERA) of 2.27, Ava Eagleson (catcher) started every game behind the plate, and Katherine Eaton (shortstop/pitcher) posted an average over .500 and led the team defensively at shortstop.
“Our pitching and catching both years was exceptional. Ava displayed a rocket arm, throwing out virtually every runner that tried to steal a base. Ava was our leading hitter in both years, posting averages above .500, .543 in 2024,” said Hobson. “Our corner infielders, Katie (Katherine) Mull and Hannah Prior, were exceptional at first and third and posted high averages with power and team leading RBIs (runs batted in).”
After winning 12 consecutive games during the 2023 season, expectations were high for 2024. Those expectations were far exceeded with another unblemished record, thanks to the efforts of Rory Melvin (pitcher), Audrey Mills (pitcher), and Prior.
“Rory Melvin finished the season at 12-0 in 2024, with a 2.47 ERA, with help in relief from Audrey Mills (1-0), with a 2.53 ERA,” said Hobson. “Hannah hit the first out-of-the park home run at Adams’ new home field on campus in 2024. Madison Klein (second base/catcher/shortstop) and Hayley Paradise (shortstop/third base/first base) anchored the infield at second base and shortstop, respectively, last season.”
As Hobson and the team get to work for the upcoming 2025 spring, he returns six players from last year’s special group. He will lean heavily on the knowledge that core has picked up in their softball tenures to help lead the charge for another season.
“We expect that their experience will benefit the incoming class,” Hobson said. “To our benefit, Madison Klein and Hayley Paradise will be returning. They were also two of our most productive hitters last season. We expect that this experience will help immensely in 2025.”
Because there is no postseason or any championship games in middle school sports, the biggest trophy may have come in the form of a perfect record for Guilford, but there were still several games the team looked back on and felt were worth celebrating.
“In 2023, we defeated Shelton with a walk-off play at the plate, where we tagged the potential tying run at the plate to end the game. Again, we beat them by just one run this past season,” said Hobson. “A good part of both of those seasons, we were beating teams prohibitively, but Shelton played us really tough in 2023. In 2024, we got behind East Haven in the season opener but managed to come back and beat them 12-10 in the last two innings.”
Polson Middle School (Madison) is Adams’ rival program. In 2023, Adams defeated Polson by one run in a game that went back and forth every inning. The grind of the schedule and competitiveness of not only Polson but many other teams that Adams faces proves to be the biggest test for a squad so hungry to win.
“We did not have a whole lot of challenges other than the season opener against East Haven. That was a tough game, however, a good win for us,” Hobson said. “We took care of business during the duration of the season. We felt that the "Fifth Column" was very much under our control, which may be one of the reasons why we were so successful these past two years. Our biggest challenge, as always, will come from our opponents. Those powerful SCC affiliated schools like Melillo (East Haven), Shelton, Dodd (Cheshire), North Haven, Orange (Amity), Polson (Madison), among others.”
Because of the ability of the Adams Middle School team to attack its opponents and assert dominance no matter who is on the other side of the field, it makes the club’s achievements even more impressive to the softball community.
“To have it happen in two years is almost off the charts. We are very happy about it. We have developed wonderful relationships with families,” said Hobson. “The players have made great friendships and also still play for me in the summer program that I coach.”
Hobson remains optimistic about the upcoming season and feels that the sky is the limit for this group. He believes that if each athlete sticks to the fundamentals and supports each other, then good things will happen.
“We look forward to having a great season in 2025 behind our returnees and many really good new girls,” said Hobson. “Once again, we are anticipating enhancing our relationships with returning players and forming new bonds with the incoming girls. We will continue to consistently teach our philosophy, and hopefully the results will speak for themselves.”
Hobson is assisted by Chad Eaton, who will be going into his third year as the assistant coach in 2025.
The undefeated 2023 roster included eighth graders Paz Arroyo (outfielder), Eaton, Taylor Ketchum (outfielder), Campbell McGrady (first base/second base), Sarah O’Brien (pitcher/third base), Isla O’Connell (outfielder), Claire Ryan (second base), and Morgan Ross (outfielder); and seventh graders Delphin Barberra (outfielder), Maya Daniels (outfielder/utility), Eagleson, Kaya England (outfielder, second base), Ava Gentile (second base/outfielder), Makena Hollingsworth (outfielder), Melvin, Mull, and Prior.
The undefeated 2024 roster included eighth Marlena Betzner (outfielder), Daniels, Eagleson, Hollingsworth, Harper Long (outfielder), Melvin, Mull, and Prior; and seventh graders Olivia Fernandez (outfielder/utility), Faith Hamm (outfielder), Klein, Ali Janosko (outfielder/second base), Mills, and Paradise.