Norwich — Hanover High’s new softball facility at the Dresden Athletic Fields doesn’t have a name yet. That might change one day for the neighboring baseball and softball fields across the Connecticut River, according to Marauders athletic director Mike Jackson.

Until then, Hanover second-year softball coach Jessica Belley and her team will continue to find their identity as their new home turf does the same.

Hanover christened its new $200,000 digs with a season-opening 20-3 loss to Hillsboro-Deering on Friday afternoon, not bad for a team returning only four athletes from last season. But Belley has her group buying into the long-term rebuilding plan by keeping things light and positive.

Moving down to NHIAA Division III certainly helps, as does the influx of seven freshmen that has injected some life into what was a bare-bones roster a year ago. But opening a new field of its own puts progress in perspective, Belley said. Taken all together, Hanover’s softball players are now convinced that things are moving in the right direction.

“I think there’s tons of potential here,” Belley said. “We love (the new field). We have a place that’s ours. The girls can just enjoy it. (Before), we didn’t know who was utilizing the space when we weren’t there. Now we know, like, this is our field.”

Hanover pitcher Rebecca Wilson added: “I think it definitely makes the team feel like the school supports them. … It definitely gives the softball team more of a name. I feel like the program is a lot more insured.”

For years, Hanover called Norwich’s Huntley Meadows, an expansive recreation area that at any one time could be hosting several group activities at once, as its home. The setup was not ideal, at least not for a varsity team that needed to attract athletes. Numbers dwindled to only nine last season, just enough to field a team. Wilson, a newcomer, was Hanover’s only pitcher.

The Marauders had 15 athletes on their roster as of Friday.

“It was a rough end to the season (last year),” Belley said. “I don’t know if any of these girls came out because we were getting a new field, but it really feels like a new beginning for Hanover softball.”

Wilson showed progress on Friday, allowing 12 runs in the first four innings before Hillsboro-Deering piled on in the sixth. The sophomore recorded three strikeouts.

Hanover only practiced once on its new field before Friday’s game. But for Wilson, this season already has a totally different feel. Freshmen Samantha Gibbs and Arabella Meachum-Snyder are also on the pitching staff, giving Belley some flexibility and Wilson a little bit more breathing room. But Wilson also said having other pitchers on the team drives her to work harder to keep the starting role.

“It’s nice to have other players who play the same position as me here to support me,” Wilson said. “It definitely drives me to pitch better.”

Hanover got on the board with a two-RBI single from Olivia Peterson in the third inning, driving in Meachum-Snyder and Kelly Finley from second and third. Bella Bardales also provided a run in the fifth.

“This has been a long time coming,” Jackson said. “It’s not bad for the first day out. There are still things that need to be done. … We hope during April vacation, which is next week, they can start laying the slabs for the dugouts. The whole idea is to mirror (Hanover’s baseball field). It’ll have dugouts; it’ll have a scoreboard.”

Much of Thursday’s practice involved inspecting the team’s new home turf, leaving Belley — on a team with plenty of new faces — unsure of what her season-opening lineup would look like. After Friday’s game, she said she was still encouraged.

“Once we have dugouts, all our stuff will stay here,” Belley said. “Then it’ll really feel like ours. I’m looking forward to that.”

Hanover travels to Newport this afternoon.

Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.

Valley News - Friday, April 14, 2017