Morelli Finishes Strong Career with BSU

Kaitlin Morelli graduated from in 2006, where she pitched on the Scarlet Hawks' softball team for four years before deciding to pursue her athletic skills at the collegiate level. After transferring from Roger Williams, Morelli went on to play three seasons at Bridgewater State University. Morelli pitched mainly relief for the Bears, but did make a few spot starts for the squad over the span of three seasons. 

During her sophomore year, she appeared in five games and won one game for the Bears on their way to a 26-17 overall record as the MASCAC Champs. The following year she threw six innings, posting a 4.67 ERA and grabbing a win in three appearances for the Bears on their way to becoming MASCAC co-champions with a record of 28-11. Her senior year, she was named a captain and threw 25 innings for the Bears, but the team had a disappointing year, finishing 21-21 and losing in the ECAC Tournament.

Morelli just graduated from Bridgewater this month with a degree in special education and is now looking to find a job she "truly likes."

Favorite food: Cheese-filled Raviolis

Favorite movie: The Grinch

Favorite bands or genres of music: Country, Rap or Pump-up music

What have you been up to since you graduated from Milford High School in 2006?

I went to Roger Williams for a year and a half and I played a season of softball there. Then I transferred to Bridgewater because I wanted to major in special education and I played the rest of my three remaining seasons here.

I just finished classes, just took my last final and I'm now looking for jobs around Bridgewater and working with kids that have special needs, especially kids with autism. I've also been working with my coach at Bridgewater with the Special Olympics and doing stuff with that.

I've noticed Bridgewater's softball team has had some pretty good seasons while you were there; what can you tell me about them?

My experience at Bridgewater was amazing. My first year I transferred here we went undefeated all season [in the division] and won the MASCAC and the following year we had another winning season where we won the MASCAC again. My senior year I was named captain and it was kind of a growing year, but we made the best of it. We didn't play in the MASCAC, but we played in the ECAC Tournament (post-season tournament similar to NCAA tournament) where we came in second.

Were you ever clocked with a radar gun to tell you how fast you threw?

When I was younger I was. It's funny because in high school it was like how fast can you throw, but in college it was like how many pitches can you throw? How much spin do you have on the ball? Instead of just throwing hard. But in high school I was clocked throwing at 55-60 mph.

You mentioned that in college, pitching is based less on speed and more on different pitches or spins. What kind of pitches do you throw and what kind of pitcher do you consider yourself?

I'm different than everybody else. I've always been the oddball when it comes to pitching, but it's just the way I mentally process the game. I'm more of a junk-ball pitcher: curve, screw, drop ball. I will throw a drop-ball every pitch of the game if I have to. If it produces an out, that's it, that's all I need. I will very rarely throw a fastball and if I do it will be out of the zone.

When you were searching for colleges, where were you originally looking?

It was between St. A's and New Hampshire (Southern New Hampshire). I actually sent my deposit in to SNHU, but I don't know, I just had a bad feeling about it, so I changed my mind.

Looking back at your high school years at Milford, what can you tell me about that experience?

I would have to say that my time at Milford High School was great. Playing for Coach Lack, who took me under her wing and made me feel really comfortable, was a huge experience for me because I was so young and pitching on varsity. Also playing for Mr. Stand was a blessing because he's been my coach forever and he has had a large impact on who I am and who I am as a player, so he really made me develop as a player with the way I approach the game.

Then playing for Coach Brian Macchi my senior year where it was: Meghan DiVitto, Jessie Stand, Jennifer Protano, Catrina Derderian and myself playing together for our last season together since we were 10, was probably the most memorable. I also remember the last game I pitched in a Milford uniform was a 13- inning game in which we lost 1-0 in the semi-finals.

When did you start playing softball and was there anyone who pushed you to play?

I would say maybe when I was 5-or 6-years-old. My dad and Mr. Stand were my coaches since I was little when I played tee-ball, and then I got involved in travel softball in middle school and that's when I started pitching.

Who else besides Coach Stand had a big impact on your life?

My dad. He has been to every game of mine, no matter if I was playing in it or not, no matter where it was.