By Michael Letendre

After a couple excellent campaigns with All-State chucker Erin Girard leading the charge, the Bristol Eastern softball team is going to look a little different in 2021.

Putting together another 17-win campaign, like they did in 2019, might be a tall order, but the Lancers have some experience around the horn and turn to junior Alison Tellier – a talented pitcher who has seen an inning or two on the hill for Eastern over the years.

It’s always a challenge in the Central Connecticut Conference and the Lancers expect a battle every day they hit the field.

Here’s a look at what you can expect from the Kingstreeters in 2021:

BRISTOL EASTERN SOFTBALL

Head coach: Scott Redman (8th season, 92-57 overall)

2019 season: 17-6 overall. The No. 7 ranked team in the Class L field in 2019, the program defeated No. 26 Bullard Havens (20-0) and No. 23 Pomperaug (2-0) before falling in the quarterfinals to eventual state champion, No. 2 Masuk (5-3).

Losses: Paige McLaughlin, Alyssa Hackling, Taylor Keegan, Erin Girard, Lauren Aparo, Lyzah Corliss, Zoe Lowe.

Returning Players/Roster: Riley Giblin (sr, 1B), Jasmine Perez (sr, OF), Ashlynn Brunet (sr), Jennifer Black (sr), Alison Tellier (jr, P), Grace D’Amato (jr, 3B), Janessa Gonzalez (jr, C), Samantha Policki (jr, 2b), Alex Shorette (jr, OF), Jazmyn Browne (so, SS), Ashley Serafin (so), Makayla Antunes (fr).

2021 Season Outlook: Between players graduating and not returning to the program, Redman will have to put the right mix of athletes out on the field in order to be successful this year.

Tellier made nine appearances on the mound in 2019 and went 2-1 overall in just under 37 innings pitched.

She struck out 30 and walked only three over 123 batters faced, carrying an ERA of 1.91. 

That’s a pretty good ledger coming into this spring, having to back-up Girard early in her scholastic career.

Tellier will get a chance to start and square off against several top CCC teams, backed up behind the plate by junior Janessa Gonzalez.

It’s a new battery that Redman hopes will gel over the campaign.

Senior first baseman Riley Giblin (.371 batting average, 26 hits, 10 RBI) can hit the ball all over the field and is one of the featured players on the squad.

Another senior, outfielder Jasmine Perez (.296, eight hits), will also be counted on for support along with junior Grace D’Amato, who earned a ton of time as a freshman (.289, 11 hits, five runs scored) and starts the season at third base.

Junior Samantha Policki mans second base while fellow junior Alex Shorette takes her position in the outfield.

And sophomore Jazmyn Browne gets the call over at shortstop.

Seniors Ashlynn Brunet and Jennifer Black are also in the mix along with sophomore Ashley Serafin and freshman Makayla Antunes.

Eastern has experience in some positions, not so much in others and Redman – whose team has never missed the postseason over his stint of head coach – hopes to put all the pieces together and have a very successful year.

It’s never easy in the CCC and the hope is the second half of the campaign sees the team take off once the program has a bit more chemistry and gets things off the ground.

Games of Note…The Lancers open the 2021 campaign on the road against Berlin on at 10 a.m. from Sage Park in Berlin on Saturday. Eastern starts at home on April 14 versus one of the top-ranked teams in the state, Southington. And then on May 5 and May 24, Eastern tangles with crosstown rival Bristol Central in what should be two epic confrontations.