By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

Eighth-graders Taylor Buxton (right) and Abbey Sullivan led Weare Middle School's softball team to its second straight 8-2 regular season and No. 2 postseason seed for coach Derek Geddes. (Marc Thaler Photo)

WEARE - On the surface, Weare Middle School's 2005 softball team isn't much different from its '04 predecessors.

The Wildcats produced an identical 8-2 regular-season record. Again, they earned the second seed in the Class S- 1 Tri-County playoffs, which were set to begin June 1.

And just like last season, Weare's pair of regular-season losses were at the hands of top-ranked Wilton, the defending champion that also knocked off the locals in the '04 title round with an extra-inning 7-6 triumph.

"We lost the championship game with the lead and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning," said WMS head coach Derek Geddes.

But that's where the similarities between the '04 and '05 editions of the Wildcats cease to exist, according to the coach.

While last year's team was talented, the current crew showed a greater ability to consistently play to its potential. Geddes said.

When the season started, the Wildcats were a promising club both in the field and at the plate. The squad's stellar record proved WMS put that wealth of talent to good use, particularly at bat.

Perhaps no example better proved that point than a Taylor Buxton at-bat in the final game on the regular season.

Days after the eighth-grade co-captain unloaded a home run to left field during practice - the first ball Geddes saw clear the fence in his four years as coach - Buxton drilled a grand slam to dead center field on a 1-0 pitch.

"As soon as it went over the fence, I could hear everybody cheering," Buxton said. "That was one of the highlights of my softball career, right there."

"It was really great to watch it go over," said fellow eighth-grade co-captain Abbey Sullivan. "You could tell it was really going far when she hit it."

Of course, Buxton wasn't the only 'Cat who could swing the bat. As a team, Weare outscored its opponents 152-31 in its 10 contests. WMS plated more than 20 runs five times and allowed three or fewer runs on seven occasions.

"It was the type of softball they should be playing," said Geddes while looking over his roster of talent. "Plus, the unity is there. There are a lot of girls that have played together for a number of years."

Geddes welcomed back nine players to his 13-member squad this season. The co-captains, along with eighth-graders Alexe Proctor and Emily Sweeney, also compete for the 14-andunder Bedford Hornets of ASA softball.

"We're a lot closer than we've ever been," Sullivan said. "It reflects on the field because we know each other's abilities." "Last year we were friends, but this year we're like a sisterhood," added Buxton. "If we weren't like sisters, we'd be mad when someone made an error. Instead, we just say, 'Get 'em next time.'"

During the regular season, there weren't many mental and physical mistakes. And since his group was well-trained in the fundamentals of catching the ball and making contact at the plate, the Wildcats worked on more advanced aspects of the game.

"It's all about strategy," Geddes said, referring to situational bunting, base stealing and tagging up on fly balls. "I trust their judgment. They're good enough ... We wouldn't practice (situational plays) if we weren't going to use them in games."

Weare's biggest weapon, according to the coach, is the versatility of every athlete; each young lady owns the ability to play multiple positions on the diamond extremely well.

"That's a tribute to their talent," Geddes said. "And the coaching they received even before they got to me."

Along with Geddes and his co-captains, the Wildcats of '05 include assistant coach Christine Rand; eighth-graders Danielle Dubois, Olivia Gray, Joan Hamel, Becca Morin, team manager Courtney Perron, Proctor, Brittany Purington and Sweeney; and seventh-graders Molly Dussault, Kelsey Francher, Mia Fournier and Corissa Gecks.

"The players knew they were good (entering the season)," Geddes said. "But they wanted to be great players. By making softball fun in practice, they know that even in the pressure situations of games, it's still fun."