Classmates off to different college starts

Marissa Fiorentino and Pat Devlin followed similar paths on the diamond at Tewksbury High: Merrimack Valley Conference all-stars, and captains who helped power their respective squads to back-to-back conference crowns before graduating last June.

Now, the pair are freshmen at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, adjusting to the elevated demands of new coaches, teammates, and all that comes with being a first-year, college student-athlete.

The similarities, however, end there.

"It's really funny, because it was like we were going through the same thing in high school. We were on great teams, having a great time and then we ended up at the same college," said Fiorentino. "But our college teams and experiences could not be more different up to this point."

Devlin is starting at third base for the River Hawk baseball team that is off to a 10-3 start and leading the team with a .400 average.

Fiorentino is a starting pitcher for a UMass-Lowell softball team that was winless in its first 12 games.

UML coach Ken Harring inserted Devlin into the leadoff spot during fall ball and the 5-foot-11, 195-pound speedster has played with the poise of a seasoned performer ever since, prompting Harring to call him "a steal for this program."

"Tewksbury's right in our backyard and it's a great program, especially for the last four years," said Harring. "Whoever they were playing, Pat was always the best player on the field. I'll never forget when [in his junior year] they were playing North Andover in the playoffs and they were facing Mike Hashem and Pat homered off him. We've had our eyes on him since then. With his skills and work ethic, we knew he could be a catalyst this year."

Hashem, along with Devlin's high school teammate Scott Oberg, is a pitcher at the University of Connecticut this spring. While Devlin's adjustment was fairly smooth, Fiorentino's fall was marked by tears and frustration.

The right-handed hurler worked exclusively with pitching coach Megan Biddle, a former Andover High and UConn standout, to change the mechanics of her delivery. In high school, Fiorentino sometimes threw after a "crow-hop," an illegal move in which she would step off the mound, replant her right foot and push off when pitching.

"She had to learn how not to replant," said Lowell head coach Harry Sauter. "It was very tough. There were some tears when we told her there were flaws in her motion and she was going to have to spend the fall and winter working it out. She did it, she never complained, though. It's not a problem now, it was just harder for her to adjust than others because we had to change her style."

Fiorentino impressed in her first collegiate start, throwing seven complete innings without allowing any runs. Known for her screaming fastball, Fiorentino also spent a considerable amount of time improving her curveball, focusing on the drop and location of her pitches.

Their teams have started in opposite directions, but Devlin and Fiorentino share one clear trait: confidence.

"There's no question about it, I think when you come from a winning high school program, you gain a winning mentality," said Devlin. "Marissa and I both had a lot of success at Tewksbury and we both played on some great summer teams too, so I know we both know how to win, what it takes to win and how hard you have to work to get there."

Tewksbury natives Matt Monico and Pat Morrissey join Devlin on the roster, along with Matt Lawlor, of Dracut, Stoneham's Taylor von Kriegenbergh, and Graeme Clohosey of Derry, N.H. Lowell plays a double-header at Bentley on Saturday afternoon.

Fiorentino is joined by Dracut's Caelyn Ford and Stephanie Rollo, Katelyn Hebert of Lowell, Reading's Paula Ruszkowski, and Lauren Maruca of Pelham, N.H.

The River Hawks host Assumption on Saturday.

Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com