Junior outfielder Kristina Bove enjoyed a breakout season for the Beacons Softball team this year. In 36 games for the Beacons, Bove lead the team in batting average, posting a .396 along with 16 RBI and six stolen bases. Bove credits her return to playing hockey this past winter for her statistical increase.
“I started hockey up again this past season after three years of not playing and I think that helped me a lot, especially helping me to focus on my game,” she said.
Despite a disappointing season in which the Beacons posted a 12-25 record, Bove says that the season was a learning experience for the whole team. She mentioned the hard work and mentoring of head coach Natalia Ardagna as a positive when reflecting on the season.
“She always reminded us to play to the best of our abilities, work together, focus on the game and most of all have fun,” Bove said of Ardagna.
“Over the course of the season we learned to overcome hardships, work as a team, and earn some wins.”
The team began the season during spring break, playing seven games in Clermont, Florida. Bove said that the trip was a bonding experience for the team and allowed them time to grow as a group.
“The Florida trip is the time when we all get together and get to know each other a little more, and I think that it helped us grow and understand each other more,” she said.
Bove says that while she’s still thinking of the difficulty the team had this past season, she knows that the team must move forward and learn from their struggles to be better next year. She mentioned that players have already begun to discuss off-season and summer workouts plans.
“A lot of the girls are local, which helps to be able to plan a location and get in contact with one another for these workouts. It makes it a whole lot easier to communicate and will hopefully be helpful in our improvement over the next year,” said Bove.
She hopes that the team can show a bit more aggression at the plate. The team had a combined 175 strikeouts and 85 walks during the season. Bove hopes that the team can improve next season in both statistics.
“I think, overall, being aggressive at the plate is one of the points we need to work on. It’s not that we were bad, but I think we need to focus a bit more at the plate and swing at more good pitches.” Bove added, “Our fielding improved a lot over the season and I think that it shows we can get better and that we can have a great season next year.”