SPRING INTO SPORTS Experienced and Battle-tested Lady Pats Shoot for GBL Softball Crown

By Dom Nicastro

The Revere High School softball team has seen nothing but growth for the last three seasons under coach Megan O’Donnell. It won 4, 7 and 15 games heading into this spring. Last spring, the team went 15-5, more than doubling its win total from 2023. The Patriots made it to the state tournament, where they lost to Shrewsbury in the opening round. This performance earned O’Donnell the Greater Boston League Coach of the Year award.

O’Donnell heads into Year No. 4 with Revere alongside assistants and former program standouts Hailey Powers (fourth year) and Victoria Correia (second year).

Revere opens the season Friday, April 4, on the road against Northeast Metro Tech (4:15 p.m.). The team’s home opener is Monday, April 7, against Greater Boston League foe Lynn English at St. Mary’s Park (4:15 p.m.).

This year’s captains are seniors Lea Doucette (team-leading .556 average, 37 runs, 33 RBI last season), Brianna Miranda (18 RBI) and Jordan Martelli (15 runs, 15 RBI) and junior Frankie Reed (.477 average, 27 runs, 32 RBI). “These four players each play a special role on the team,” O’Donnell said. “Jordan and Brianna are the captains who control the outfield, and Lea and Frankie are the captains who control the infield. They are four special players who all want the best for their teammates and will push everyone to do their best.”

The coach said the team’s strengths this season should be hitting. Last season, the team averaged around 12 runs per game while allowing six. It is returning eight starters from last season but nine returners in total.

“Our fielding should be solid this season as well with a few people in new positions, but with nine returners and a few new players we should be in every game this season,” O’Donnell said. “We have our pitcher (all-star Danni Hope Randall) and catcher (all-star Shayna Smith) who are both two-year starters and have been able to control the game better this season.”

Smith batted .484 last season and drove in 29 runs. Her battery mate and fellow junior, Hope Randall, had an ERA of 3.62 and struck out 173 batters in 116.1 innings last spring.

“Our growth for this season is to cut down on errors and get hits when needed and not to let one error ruin the whole game for us,” O’Donnell said.

Anna Doucette (.433) and Caleigh Joyce (.357) are two sophomores who are looking to have big years in the field and at the plate. Anna is moving from second base to shortstop, and Joyce is going from third base/DH to second base and pitcher.

Freshman Zizi Kalliavas is looking to start in the outfield and learn the game of softball the Patriot Way, according to O’Donnell, who added that Lindsay Pineda and Michelle Pineda are looking to have a solid year in the field and up at bat.

“We had a scrimmage vs East Boston, and we started off rough because it was our first time outside since tryouts,” O’Donnell said. “We had some errors and walks in the first inning, but we came out swinging in the second and third inning, putting up a ton of runs to get the win.”

The coaching staff just wants the girls to grow as individuals and as teammates, the coach said. “Winning games is always great, but it’s learning how to grow as individuals and teammates in hard situations,” O’Donnell said. “The coaching staff wants the best for these girls and wants to see them win a league title. But we have to play through tough Everett, Medford and Classical teams.”