H-ton JV Softball Displays Heart and Hustle

The Huntington junior varsity softball made for its lack of roster size with a lot of heart, hustle and extra efforts. The Blue Devils gave everything they had to the team and they wore their uniforms with pride.

Coached by Jim Byrnes, Huntington was captained by sophomores Charlotte “Charlie” Cassatto, Mia Miller and Katie Cocoman.

“Charlie was a great leader both on and off the field and she played a solid second base,” Byrnes said. “Mia was also a great leader and she played a very good leftfield for us.”

Aubrie Godin shined at shortstop. “She was solid defensively and was one of our better on base players,” Byrnes said.

Eighth grader Taylor Peters never pitched before, but she gave it a try for the Huntington JV. “She stepped up for the team and was a very good player all-around,” Byrnes said.

Cocoman played first base and catcher and provided leadership “both offensively and defensively,” the coach said.

The biggest accomplishment of the season was “keeping this team together until the end,” Byrnes said. “The girls who came out played and gave me all they had on the field.”

The roster included 10 players, but the Blue Devil JV often found itself shorthanded. “It was a good group of players who worked hard to get better each day,” Byrnes said. “Many games we played we were better defensively and offensively that our opponents, but came up short. All the players improved their skills from day one. A few will help varsity and our program next year.”

Byrnes expects every player to return next spring. As soon the season ended, the coach headed to Finley Middle School to help out with the softball team there. He is hoping to hold summer workouts for players to further develop their skills and have fun playing the game.