The Lynnfield High softball team held its annual awards banquet at The Grill House in Saugus June 11.
The Pioneers finished the season 8-13 overall. The No. 15 seed in the Division 4 state tournament, they drew a bye in the preliminary round only to be eliminated in the round of 32 by No. 18 Millbury, 6-5.
Several players were recognized for excellence.
Junior shortstop Morgan Hubbard received the Offensive Most Valuable Player Award. Hubbard had another outstanding season following a breakout season in 2023, a year in which she pounded out 29 base hits and batted .518. This year, Hubbard posted a batting average of .478 with a team high 33 base hits. In 79 plate appearances, she drew 10 walks and struck out just twice.
A Cape Ann League First Team All-Star, Hubbard had seven three-hit games and three two-hit games. She hit one home run, scored 25 runs and drove in 18.
“In our state tourney loss to Millbury, she tripled and scored in the first, and then added two more hits and two RBI,” Longo said. “It felt like from the opening game of the year, every hit she had was huge. We scored 130 runs on the year, and she was involved in almost a third of them. Just a monster, who is headed for 100 hits in her career.”
Hubbard, a midfielder on the Pioneers’ girls soccer team that made it to the state semis last fall, played catcher her freshman year and split time between second and first base as a sophomore. Longo said she landed at shortstop this year after Hubbard approached him in the summer of 2023 to discuss her role in 2024.
“She said she wanted the chance to prove she could play shortstop. We had a solid girl at short last year, so Hubby told me she could play anywhere,” Longo said. “This year she worked hard in the offseason to be ready to take over at short. The best way to describe her defensive season was dynamic. She had five errors total. She had twice as many diving stops and turned a pair of double plays by herself.”
Sophomore catcher and two-year starter Lily Williams won the Team Defensive MVP Award. She allowed only six stolen bases all year. She posted a .371 OBP, scored 14 runs and drove in 10.
“She has called and caught every pitch we have thrown each of the last two seasons and is one of the best defensive catchers in Eastern Massachusetts already. She throws the ball well and blocks everything.”
Senior captain Ava Gamache received the Coach’s Award. She played third base and left field as a freshman and sophomore before moving to a permanent position at third junior year. The netminder for the Pioneers’ girls soccer team, Gamache was selected to the CAL Second Team and the Agganis Games All-Star teams.
“She struggled at the plate much of the year, but had her best game of the year against Millbury with a couple of hits,” Longo said. “Defensively, she’s been a rock at third for two years now for me and she’s another three-sport stud and captain.”
Senior captain Sophia Brown received the Heart Award. A four-year varsity veteran and three-year starter in the circle, she finished 7-11 with 67 strikeouts, 33 walks and a 3.79 ERA in 103.1 innings.
“Brown gave us everything she had every time she stepped to the mound,” Longo said.
Senior captain center fielder Catie Kampersal received the Spirit Award.
“Kampersal is another three-sport stud who powered soccer and PLNR hockey teams to deep playoff runs,” Longo said. “She started a little slow, but defensively, she saved us a handful of times, especially over the second half in center. Her bunt hit was the key to our upset of Triton in the regular season.”
Junior left fielder Kaila George received the Team Player Award. She batted .382 with 17 RBI and 15 runs scored.
“Kaila is the fastest kid we have and also stood out with the indoor track team in the winter,” Longo said.
The captains of the 2025 team were announced; they are Hubbard, Williams and George.
