By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

MONMOUTH – It was as eye-opening and enjoyable as it gets.

Just imagine how good the Monmouth Academy softball team would have felt had it won.

When the Mustangs lost a hard-fought 1-0 game to Jay, it was a turning point of sorts for a team that won four games the year before.

“The funnest game we had was against Jay,” said Jessica Gray, the Mustangs’ lone senior. “Even though we lost, it was probably the most fun I’ve had the last two years. The bench was loud. The bench definitely helped us in that game.”

It wasn’t just the atmosphere. The young Mustangs took on one of the preseason favorites in the MVC and didn’t blink. It was then that Rachel Bernier truly saw what her team could become.

“That was one heck of a great ballgame,” said Bernier. “Kids were making plays. It was just unbelievable for both sides. At that point, I was like, This is an excellent, quality team.’ They just surprised the heck out of me.”

The Mustangs have been shocking people all season. Monmouth eventually met Jay again Friday in a 6-0 loss in the MVC championship game. The Mustangs finished the regular season at 12-2 and were ranked second in Western Class C.

“I’ve really learned a lot,” said Gray. “If you just play and have fun, you can do anything. If you can have heart like this team, you can go far.”

The Mustangs were unlikely candidates for the MVC title game, let alone contenders in Western C. They had five freshmen stepping into large roles and three relatively young pitchers. Still, Monmouth had its best season since moving to Class C.

“I was expecting a building season much like last year,” said junior shortstop Alex Gauthier.

Something happened on the way to that remodeling. The Mustangs bucked that trend in a big way.

“I told the kids the other day that they’ve exceeded my expectations,” said Bernier, who expected a .500 year. “It’s the kids. They’ve been working extremely hard all year long. They’re willing to try things. They’re hungry to learn and be better ballplayers. I’ve never experienced 20 kids that are willing to really work, and I’m talking about my JV as well as my varsity kids. They absorb everything we have to offer them.”

It was a season of transition, but the Mustangs growing pains were slight. Only Gray and juniors Chelsey Grant, Gauthier, Trista Morin and Kayla Chick are returning starters. Only Gauthier was a regular when Monmouth made the playoffs in 2003.

“That team had a lot of fun together, and we have a lot of fun together,” said Gauthier. “I think that’s an important part, to like the team that you’re playing with. I think last year, we were kind of blah at practices and didn’t have a lot of fun.”

Freshmen Jill Armstrong, Katie Woodman, Moe Beaulieu, Brittany Hilton and Jenn Lola have all stepped into significant roles. Bernier set expectations high and was committed to challenging them. Though the upperclassmen were still relatively young experience-wise, they could help the newcomers establish themselves.

Bernier likes to use a variety of combinations in the lineup. She used Hilton, Chick and Armstrong regularly as pitchers and had a number of players shifting positions. Beaulieu was a first baseman in middle school and had never been a catcher, but she’s established herself as a fine backstop.

“It’s a combination of the upperclassmen being there and being there through the rough years and understanding my expectations and the coaching staff’s expectations as to what we need to do,” said Bernier. “They’ve been guiding some of those young freshmen. They’ve never been in tough situations.”

Gauthier says she saw a difference in the Mustangs right from the start.

“The first couple of practices, I saw a lot of good stuff,” said Gauthier. “During the pitchers and catchers week, the first few days, I saw a lot of potential in them. They just worked so hard. It was incredible.”

The Mustangs overcame an opening day loss and began winning early, but a significant step was a victory over Telstar, the defending MVC champs.

Then came the loss against Jay. It came after rallying with two runs with two outs against Georges Valley.

After playing in hopes of just getting to the playoffs, the Mustangs are redefining their mindset for the postseason.

“I’m not the type to have us rest on our laurels,” said Bernier. “I’m going to keep pushing. We’ve made it this far. I say, Let’s get to the next step on that ladder and see where we can go.'”