The Pilgrim softball team has continued its run as the state’s best team this spring as it entered the week with a perfect 10-0 overall record.

As expected, the team has been led by reigning Gatorade Player of the Year Alyssa Twomey, who has been a force in both the circle and at the plate. The Providence College-commit has allowed an astonishing four runs in over 62 innings pitched while averaging just under two strikeouts per inning. She has also batted .345 for the Pats.

“It’s pretty special. She’s gotten better each step. That’s the kind of kid that she is. I’ve seen the growth in her year after year, to the point where she is the best pitcher that I have had the pleasure to see and coach,” said Pilgrim coach Carlos Rodas.

The Pats have already beaten some of the state’s elite, including taking out both defending champion Coventry and surging Cranston West 5-0 to go along with a 3-2 opening day win over La Salle.

Catcher Genna D’Amato has led the team offensively, batting over .500 while junior Audra McDonnell is following up her breakout year in 2023 with an even better spring this time around, leading the team in RBI.

“Audra has been a key cog in the middle of the lineup the last two years. She stepped up in being more clutch this year. I don’t thing anything has changed in her ability, I just think that she has matured into her role as one of the leaders of the team and now she’s coming through in some of the bigger games,” said Rodas.

Pilgrim has been one of the state’s most consistent clubs over the past three seasons, knocking on the door of a championship each year. The Pats have not been able to win the last game of the season and feel that this is their time to break through.

“The core group has been together for three years. We knew what we had going in and we knew what we had at the end of last year. I don’t think we’ve played our best, we haven’t put much emphasis on the early part of the season, we are just focused on the next game on the schedule. Regular season championships don’t mean a lot, so we’re not shooting to be regular season champions. The girls are pulling out win by win, there’s not a lot of celebrating. They understand that the biggest games are ahead,” Rodas said. “Hopefully that allows us to not fall into the big game pressure that some other teams will fall into and hopefully that experience will help them win those games.”

As Pilgrim looks to wrap up first place in the standings, Rodas will be looking to his seniors to lead the way and come up with the big performances going forward.

“(Winning the championship) is all their motivation. We had signups in February, pitchers and catchers in March, it’s been the same message: finish. We’ve picked up some big wins along the way, but we’ve beaten these schools in the regular season in the past. We haven’t won the last game, we’re going to be judged on if we win in June,” Rodas said. “I think the teams that win championships, the seniors come through in clutch situations. It’s great when teams are loaded with young talent, but when you look at the championship games, the seniors come up in the big spots.”