RallyNorth.net

Cullen keeping Beverly loose, hungry

Thursday, May, 08 By Mike Grenier
Staff writer

Senior second baseman Beth Cullen brings energy and enthusiasm to the Beverly High softball team.

The 18-year-old Cullen has a bubbly personality and a sense of humor that helps keep her team loose. She's also one of the captains and is hitting .594 with a team-high 16 RBIs, giving her considerable credibility and respect.

Right now the struggling Panthers (3-8) need her bat, glove and sense of playfulness if they're going to make a second half charge for state tournament qualification.

Earlier this week, the Beverly players wore golf outfits to school. Coach Megan Sudak said it was a typical sign of the team's unity despite a rough first half on the diamond.

"It was the silliest thing ever," said Sudak. "Beth probably had the most hideous outfit of all. I wish I had a picture of it. But this is the kind of thing Beth and the kids do. I think they were going to dress as pirates (the next day)."

Cullen has homered against Gloucester and Salem this season, yet she talks about that accomplishment in a self-deprecating way.

"I don't think I'll hit any more (home runs)," she said. "When you do it, you have to run all the bases at the same time instead of one at a time. It's too much."

A three-year starter who was diligent in her offseason workouts at Extra Innings in Middleton last winter, Cullen would much rather talk about how the Panthers are going to pull it together the rest of the way instead of her own contributions.

Beverly got a much-needed 1-0 win over Saugus Wednesday to snap a four-game losing streak. Junior Kristen Lojko pitched brilliantly, yielding just six hits, and sophomore shortstop Kiki McKenna knocked in the only run with a single. The Panthers will have to play with that sort of crispness and confidence in order to attain a regular season total of 10 wins to qualify for the postseason.

"It's a huge thing for us mentally," Sudak said of breaking the losing streak. "The kids see the ability they have. They haven't been down on themselves. It's a critical time for us since we're getting back to playing teams in the (Northeastern Conference) North division. We just want to put some wins together."

Beverly's mediocre start this spring is baffling to people who saw the Panthers go 16-7 last season, including two wins in the state tournament. The Panthers returned a solid group of veterans, led by Cullen, McKenna, first baseman Jayne Spiridigliozzi, left fielder Christy Nichols, shortstop Jess Gagnon and pitchers Elise Perron and Lojko. However, the Panthers found that they really miss Nicki  Nardella (now starring at Trinity College in Hartford), who carried a big bat and cleaned up a lot of potential errors at first base.

"The hangup has been ... well, I can't pinpoint any one thing," said Sudak. "We started the season later than anybody; that didn't help. Sometimes it's just one bad inning.

"We're definitely young in some areas and we haven't been able to string hits together. Plus, the conference is extremely competitive this season."

Lojko and Perron formed a strong pitching tandem last season, but in a scene that no one who was there will ever forget, Perron was hit in the face by a line drive in the state tourney game against Medford. She's come back this season and while she hasn't been getting the results she desires, her courage is an inspiration to the rest of the team.

"When (Perron) was a sophomore two years ago, (Noel) Kleemola was hit in the chin by a line drive and Elise was the one who came on to pitch for her," recalled Cullen. "I don't think Elise is worried out there. If (getting hit in the face) happened to me, I wouldn't want to step back on the field, never mind the mound. It hasn't changed her. She still wants to win."

Sudak has tremendous admiration for Perron.

"It amazes me and the other coaches that she put on the uniform again," said Sudak. "Elise has shown a lot of character and poise. She's a trooper; she hasn't run away from it."

Still, Beverly must prove itself down the stretch. The margin of error for making the state tourney shrinks with every loss. But the players are aware of it and they're trying to do something about it.

"We started off 1-6 in field hockey (last fall) and made the state tourney, so it can be done," said Cullen, who is going to High Point (North Carolina) University next year.

"It's crazy because when you look at our lineup, it's hard to understand why we're not winning. We have a lot of talent and we're giving it a full effort. We hope everything is falling into place for us."