All Kennebunk catcher Janelle Bouchard wanted to do in 2011 was stay consistent with her performance from last season.
Consider it a mission accomplished.
Bouchard, a junior, matched her home run total from 2010, and improved her RBI total by one, knocking in 22 RBIs on the season.
But Bouchard was an on-base machine, reaching base so many times, it would have made Barry Bonds jealous in his prime. Bouchard finished with an on-base percentage of .745.
With her play far surpassing that of her peers, Bouchard is the Journal Tribune Softball Player of the Year. It’s the second year in a row Bouchard has been given the title of the best player in York County.
Not bad for someone who didn’t expect much for herself coming into 2011, other than to continue loving the game.
“I think with hitting this year, I’d like to try to pull some pitches instead of always going opposite field,” Bouchard said before the start of the season. “But I think most of it is going to be mental for me. It has to be keeping a straight head all the time, keep loving the game.”
It would have been hard not to enjoy this season, with Bouchard’s own performance on the field and the fact the Rams made it to the playoffs with a 12-4 record, just getting knocked off 7-6 in the Western Maine Class A quarterfinal against McAuley.
Bouchard had plenty of help in the lineup. Carinn Burns and Hannah King each smacked four home runs a piece, and then switched off with one another per game from the circle, giving the Rams plenty of chances for wins.
But behind the plate calling the shots was Bouchard, and it was a job in which she thrived. Considered one of the best defensive catchers in the state, Bouchard did not commit an error during the season.
Kennebunk head coach Jim Lang said Bouchard has stepped up as a leader.
“She’s relishing that role and doing very well,” Lang said.
What’s scary for the rest of the SMAA is that Bouchard is back again next year, ready to smack home runs, and lead the Rams on the field from behind the plate.
It’s a thought that will give other pitchers in the league nightmares for months to come.
— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318 or follow on Twitter @Dave_Dyer.
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