Prior to the beginning of the season, Shepherd Hill Softball Coach John Synder and his coaching staff — as well as the players — were all wondering if they could eclipse the .500 mark. They had moved up into the Central Massachusetts Athletic Conference (CMAC) A and had scheduled to play against a lot tougher teams, so things didn’t necessarily seem to be in the Rams’ favor. Losing the season opener didn’t get the team off in the right direction either. But things would change.

Shepherd Hill would turn things around and when the smoke of the final season had cleared, the Rams found themselves with a 16-4 regular season record, including 14 straight wins at one point. Under the guidance of Snyder and his coaching staff, the team captured the CMAC A Championship and earned themselves a four seed in the Division 2 State Tournament. Once there, the Rams dispatched Oliver Ames, Middleboro and Walpole before losing to the eventual state champion King Philip in the Final 4. Shepherd Hill concluded its season 19-5.

Six Rams had more than 20 hits in the season with Emily Holtgren and Addie Dono leading the team with 38. Three players batted over .400 as the team overall hit .351. Four players scored over 20 runs, and the team had 49 extra-base hits, including seven homeruns.

Holtgren, Dono, Olivia Jankowski and Madi Carpenter were all named to the Mid Wach A All-Star Team. Carpenter, who went 15-5, fanned 152 batters leaving her eight short of 300 for her career, and was named the team’s MVP. Holtgren received the Coaches Award, was the silver slugger, hit leader and had the highest average. She also added 13 extra base hits, scored 24 runs and knocked in 32 RBIs.

Dono was recognized as the team’s most improved player, although Snyder noted that the team had numerous players improve this season. Cadence Duval was the team’s defensive player of the year and with her speed on the base paths, she could have been the team’s unsung hero. She continuously flashed the leather, making phenomenal catches during the team’s playoff run.

Having one of their better years in the field, Synder noted that he couldn’t have done it without his seniors. During their time with Shepherd Hill the seniors were part of 70 wins and five straight tournament appearances where they won at least one game a year. This year was their best as they went to the Final 4.

The seniors who will be moving on are Sarah Miller, who has held the right field position since the eighth grade. Alyssa Forbes has been the team’s catcher for four years and had had 78 hits, 55 RBIs, and was named to the Mid Wach B All StarTeam. Annie Hast was also a Mid Wach B All Star and has accumulated 112 hits during her career. Holtgren has been a four-time Mid Wach All Star and Mid Wach MVP, with 38 career hits, 100-plus runs score, and close to 100 RBIs. She has certainly been one of the best players in the game in Central Mass.