Wells pitcher Savannah Grover is coming back from a torn ACL in her right knee. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer Buy this Photo

Savannah Grover is especially pleased to be playing softball for Wells High this spring. Not only has she had to contend with COVID-19 restrictions throughout the school year, she also is recovering from a severe knee injury suffered in February 2020 while playing travel softball.

And while Grover hasn’t been completely cleared for all physical activities – she can only pitch and bat for three innings – she’s become a leader for a young Warriors team. With the 2020 spring season canceled because of the pandemic, she is the only player returning from 2019 with any varsity experience.

“She’s a great role model for the kids this year,” said Wells Coach Kevin Fox. “She’s quiet but she leads by example.”

In 2019, Grover pitched in just under half of the Warriors’ games. She’s a left-handed pitcher with a nasty screwball.

Q: What’s it mean to be out there for your senior year?

A: Honestly it’s really nice to be out back and playing sports again with everything that’s going on.

Q: You’re the only returning player from 2019. How does that affect you?

A: I have to step up to the plate and be a leader and show the younger kids what being on a varsity team is all about.

Q: What does that entail?

A: Showing initiative, having heart for the game and being ready for anything in game situations.

Q: You have a big brace on your right knee. How did the injury occur?

A: I was rounding first, heading to second. And when I turned around to get into a pickle situation, I fell down on my knee. That’s my injury, torn ACL and meniscus.

Q: When did you actually have surgery?

A: It got delayed. I was supposed to have it in April and didn’t get it until June.

Q: At that point, you’re in the middle of COVID summer. How did that impact your recovery and rehab?

A: It really affected me mentally and emotionally I felt. I had to think positive and push through and know that if I can go through this, I can go through anything.

Q: Because of the injury, you also missed out on your senior field hockey season. How tough was that?

A: It was very tough on me. I was going to be one of the eight seniors on that team and I did really well my junior year and was hoping we’d make it really far. But with COVID, that kind of pushed everything away.

Q: Do you feel limited in what you can do?

A: Sometimes I can feel a little pressure in my knee which makes it hard for me to do the running but other than that I don’t feel any limitations.

Q: What did you learn about yourself going through the knee injury and COVID?

A: Going through surgery and rehab and COVID and stuff like that, it made me feel more positive knowing that, even through I’ve been in all these bad situations, good can come out of it. I’m almost cleared 100 percent and after that I’m going to do pretty much whatever I want.

Q: So what are your hopes for this year?

A: I hope that the younger players on my team will get a feel about what varsity is all about and what games are supposed to be like. As much as I’d like to go as far as we can throughout the playoffs, I think we really need to focus on getting the basics down.

Q: Do you have any siblings?

A: I have one younger brother (Benjamin). He is on the JV baseball team and plays football and basketball, too.

Q: Do you talk sports much?

A: Yeah, mostly about baseball and softball. That’s our family’s No. 1 sport.

Q: Do you pitch to him?

A: Not recently.

Q: Would you throw him your screwball?

A: I don’t think he would be able to touch it.