By Jerry Liptak
Staff Writer

Sara Murray’s pitches certainly had pop throughout Memorial’s 5-0 win against West on Saturday, April 15. The sophomore from Auburn punched out a number of West hitters and fanned the final Blue Knight batter to secure a no-hitter in her varsity debut.

David Hedge, Memorial’s second-year softball coach, has good reason to smile early in the season. His team can pitch, his team can field, and his team can win.

The Crusaders blanked visiting West, 5-0, on Saturday, April 15, as Auburn’s Sara Murray, in her first varsity start, no-hit the Blue Knights.

Behind Murray and fellow hurlers Morgan Ziemba, a junior; Kerry Webb, a sophomore; and Rachel Hedge, a freshman, Memorial has an experienced, slick-fielding group on defense.

Murray’s no-hitter was made possible by two fine plays from shortstop Krysten Squires, who ranged right for one hardhit grounder in the hole, and later lunged left to spear a line drive headed for center field.

All Memorial runs crossed the plate in the second inning. Auburn’s Kelsey Isham smacked a hard RBI single to start the rally, and Hooksett’s Jenn Waldecker crushed a tworun home run to cap it.

Murray, a sophomore, struggled in the first and second innings, but pitched around walks and Memorial’s lone error with the guidance of Auburn’s Natalie Gendron, who shares tricaptaincy with Waldecker and Pam Bell.

Murray said it’s comforting to know she’s throwing to Gendron, a neighbor and teammate from the pair’s days at Auburn Village School.

Gendron, who both her coach and West mentor Dan Drewniak called the top catcher in the state, calmed Murray after several close pitches went West’s way.

“She’s a great kid – very knowledgeable,” Hedge said of Gendron. “When her playing days are over, she’s going to be a formidable coach.”

In the meantime, Memorial’s current coach has every reason to believe he’ll be wearing that smile throughout the spring season.