Nicole D’Amato

July 3, 2010 by Greg Lederer

D’Amato Has Shutout Streak In Stratford

A softball pitcher has the power to control the game. But, Cheshire’s Nicole D’Amato knows she is not alone on the diamond. With trust in teammates, D’Amato led the Cheshire Wildcats 16-U fast pitch team to first place last weekend.
“It is great to have that sense of security,” explained D’Amato. “I know if the team hit’s the ball, they’ll retrieve it and keep the runner from getting on base.”
D’Amato fired 23 scoreless innings to earn five victories during the Xtreme XGames tournament in Stratford. The Wildcats swept six games (9-2 record) overall under Head Coach Vic D‘Amato, defeating Traditions Softball 7-0 for the title.
“It felt good, but the defense was behind me. That is the reason they didn’t score,” reflected D’Amato. “My favorite was the championship because everybody got riled up. They (finals) are adrenaline pumping.”
Since teammate Heather VanDerheyden had a sore arm, the coaching staff asked D’Amato to throw on short rest. An explosive offense supported her by out-scoring the competition, 24-6. Wendi Westmark, Caroline Kushner, and Jess Angelo batted over. 500.
“The batters hit the first pitch, so there were a lot of short counts,” D’Amato recalled. “We hit really well.”
Despite a concussion in the spring, she produced a strong freshman year at Cheshire High School. D’Amato has similar excitement this summer. The Wildcats are a mix of new friends and long-time teammates.
“This victory (in Stratford) made us come together and have success. Now, we are going to do that,” explained D’Amato.