FHS Cherry, White, Balkus and Fallon-Comeau = HockomockSports Softball Awards

From HockoockSports.com we share the Franklin members of the Softball Awards for the Spring 2019 season.

HockomockSports First Team

Jackie Cherry – Franklin – Pitcher

Jackie Cherry (HockomockSports.com photo)

Franklin senior pitcher Jackie Cherry set the tone for her final season by no-hitting King Philip early in the spring and she continued her strong performance throughout to help the Panthers finish second in the Kelley-Rex and reach the D1 South quarterfinal. Cherry went 11-6 on the season with an ERA of 2.12. Although she walked 50 batters and hit 17, Cherry battled and shut down some of the top teams, including Taunton, and B-R twice. Franklin coach Kate Fallon-Comeau said, “Jackie is an outstanding performer in the circle, she gets the outs her team needs to win games. Overall, her senior campaign was very successful and we wish her the best of luck at Saint Michael’s.”

HockomockSports Second Team

Maddy White – Franklin – Infield

Maddy White  (HockomockSports.com photo)

Franklin junior third baseman Maddy White was excellent at the hot corner for the Panthers and was the team’s leading run producer as Franklin challenged for the league title and made a run to the D1 South quarterfinal. White led the team with an average of 0.443 and drove in a team-high 26 runs this season. She only struck out four times in 82 plate appearances and committed only one error in 53 chances at third during the regular season. She compiled 35 hits this season, including six extra-base hits, and scored 17 runs. Franklin coach Kate Fallon-Comeau said, “Maddy commands the hot corner and plays aggressive, solid defense. She is an offensive powerhouse, and leads our team in RBI.”

Anna Balkus – Franklin – Outfield

Anna Balkus (HockomockSports.com photo)

Franklin junior centerfielder Anna Balkus was the primary table setter for the Panthers offense and was one of the top defensive outfielders in the league, using her speed on both at the plate and in the field to be a weapon. Balkus hit 0.352 and stole nine bases, consistently putting her in position to score, which she did 21 times. In the field, she also made 42 put-outs and had six assists (including four double plays), with a fielding percentage of 0.980. Franklin coach Kate Fallon-Comeau said, “Anna has great speed and gets an excellent read on the ball in the outfield, she commands the defense out there and doesn’t allow other teams to run on her. Offensively she is a pest on the base path, if she gets on base, she’s scoring a run.”

Coach of the Year

Franklin head coach Kate Fallon-Comeau has been named the 2019 HockomockSports.com Softball Coach of the Year after leading the Panthers to within one game of a Kelley-Rex division title and to the Div. 1 South quarterfinal.

“Franklin made an unexpected run at a league title this spring,” said HockomockSports.com Managing Editor Josh Perry. “Kate had her team ready to go right from the start of the season and the Panthers were competitive in every game. They got the most of the talent on the roster and took a big step up the standings this season despite such a difficult schedule.”

Kate Fallon-Comeau (HockomockSports.com photo)

The Panthers finished with a record of 16-7, but four of those losses came against Bridgewater-Raynham and Bishop Feehan, which were the two finalists in D1 South, by a combined six runs. All seven losses were to teams that qualified for the tournament. Franklin also won a pair of playoff games, including a road win at Braintree to reach the South quarterfinal, and handed Taunton one of its two league losses. The Panthers scored the third most runs in the league (157) and allowed the second fewest (52).

Fallon-Comeau is the first Kelley-Rex coach to win this award since Taunton’s Dave Lewry won his second straight Coach of the Year award in 2015.

Fro the full listing of softball awards
https://hockomocksports.com/awards/softball/2019-2/