Making the Most of Your Opportunities

Not bad for her first start of the season.

 junior Jessica Bonollo made her debut start in the pitching circle recently on the road at Fitchburg and delivered a solid outing leading the softball team to an 8-0 win.

“I felt good out there. The offense gave me some support, and I was able to take a deep breath and relax and pitch my game,” said Bonollo after her performance. “I was able to hit my spots today and keep hitters off balance.”

The junior hurler is now in her third year with the Colonials program. As a sophomore she was a swing player dividing her time between the varsity and junior varsity teams. This year she is hoping to continue to elevate her game and contribute in a big way to the success of the team and program.

“I didn’t really get pitch very much last year on the varsity. I pitched more at the junior varsity level,” said Bonollo, who scattered three hits while striking out 12 against the Red Raiders. “During the offseason I started going to Planet Fast Pitch and began throwing a lot more and improved my game.”

According to Bonollo, she has been playing the sport for the past eight years and got her start on the diamond playing in the local town league playing recreation ball.

Shrewsbury skipper Phil Chevalier is also hoping for big things from his junior star.

“Jess did a great job for us out there. It was her first outing of the season, and I’m happy with what I saw,” he said. “We have four kids that really throw the ball well, and we’ve tried to balance it out and bounce around. She had an opportunity to pitch in a game earlier in the year, but she was sick.”

According to the Colonials manager, Bonollo will contribute in a big way if she stays focused and keeps plays the way she’s capable.

“If she is able to hit her spots and keep the offense off balance, like she did against Fitchburg, then she’ll be OK,” Chevalier said. “She is confident in herself and will have plenty of opportunities during the season.”

Bonollo and her teammates are currently 8-3 overall on the season and 3-1 in the Mid-Wach A League. The Colonials are closing in on yet another postseason berth and will look to inch a game closer when they tangle with league foe Leominster on the road this afternoon.

“As a team, we want to try and make it to the districts and advance as far as we can,” Bonollo said. “I think we have a really good team, and we have the ability to make a deep run.”

When the Colonials junior is not on the field she enjoys watching her favorite team the Boston Red Sox. When asked if she had a favorite player she stopped to think for a moment before saying Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

Bonollo still has a year of high school to go, but is already making plans for her college career. She has every intention to continue her career at the college level, preferably at the Division 2 or Division 3 level. While she is still undecided where she wants to attend, she did recently visit Salva Regina in Newport, RI and enjoyed herself.

“It was amazing, and I loved it up there, but it was a bit small,” Bonollo said. “I would like to stay within driving distance of home, about an hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours away.”