The Westport softball team won the Mayflower Athletic Conference after beating Bishop Connolly 3-1 in an away game on Saturday, May 13. The Wildcats conference record is 7-1 and 8-8 overall. 

“I am extremely proud of all the girls,” said Westport head coach Monique Jones. “They have definitely worked as a cohesive unit and that has been the key to our success this season. We have accomplished way more than I had ever imagined and it blows my mind that they are so young.”

Keys to success 

Clutch hitting, good pitching and solid defense has been Westport’s plan of attack. Offensively the Wildcats have crushed the ball and scored 101 runs against their eight league opponents this season. The top of the lineup, Jayda Pequita, Braylin Montigny, Tess Silvia and Peyton Mahjoory have been ripping the ball and compiling some hefty stats.

“They have been dominant this season,” said Coach Jones.

Pequita, a sophomore who bats leadoff, batted .518 this season, with 2 homers and 3 triples. Pequita drove in 12 runs, stole 15 bases and scored 24 runs. 

Mahjoory, the Wildcats’ clean up hitter, batted .500 with 5 doubles. The senior drove in 19 runs, stole 13 bases, and scored 16 runs.

Montigny, who hits second, batted .449 with a homer, 2 triples and 2 doubles. The senior drove in 10 runs and scored 17 runs. 

Silvia, who bats third, batted .407 with a homer, 2 triples and 2 doubles. The sophomore drove in 18 runs, stole 10 bases and scored 17 runs. 

Pitching and defense

Westport has two solid young pitchers in Mackenzy Ponte and Makayla Grace. Ponte a sophomore, has been pitching for the Wildcats since seventh grade. 

“Mackenzy has grow as a pitcher and when she finds her groove, she is explosive,” Coach Jones said.

The righty, who has improved every year, struck out 95 hitters this season and has a record of 6-7. She has a quick delivery to the plate and the competitiveness to dig deep when she needs a strike out.

Grace, an eighth grade right-handed pitcher, struck out 19 and has a record of 2-0. She patrols centerfield when she isn’t on the mound. 

Defensively, the Wildcats have played solid behind their young pitchers. Silvia plays catcher, freshman Molly Costa plays first base, Morgan Pacheco, an 8th grader, plays second base, Mahjoory is at third base, Pequita plays shortstop, Montigny plays left field, Grace plays centerfield and sophomore Layla Bossie plays right field. 

Wildcats are just 1-7 against non-league competition

The Wildcats bane, is that they are just 1-7 against non-league opponents and that may not bold well when playoffs start in two weeks. Westport is currently ranked 36th out of 82 teams in power ranking. Last week, the Wildcats lost to Bristol Aggie 9-1 in a home game on Tuesday and fell to Tri-County 7-2 on Thursday. They play two more non-league games this week before playoffs.