Their secret: catching the ball

They hit, they pitch, but mostly, North Quincy plays great D

North Quincy High infielders Kathleen Lynch, Brittany Folkins, and Kasey O'Connell last week. Folkins also pitches. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

North Quincy High girls' softball coach Mike Connor doesn't expect his two leading hurlers to pitch with the kind of speed that makes hitters swing with a delayed reaction. Why try to strike out every batter when a solid defense is behind you?

The Red Raiders have not been perfect defensively, but when a big play has been needed, Connor has watched his players deliver over and over again.

"It's such a relaxing feeling," said Connor of his defense, which has played a key role in the team's 7-2 start.

North Quincy didn't graduate a single player from last year's 15-6 squad that qualified for the state tournament, the program's first in 15 years. The experience boosted the Red Raiders and motivated the group to seek another state tournament berth and advance beyond the first round.

"In previous years, it wasn't really a serious program or anything," senior pitcher Paige Bonanni said. "When we finally established a good team, and our team came back, we knew we could be really good this year."

Offensively, North Quincy is performing at an average rate in Connor's eyes. The team is led by three players who are hitting better than .500 in Rebecca Goreham (.560), Kerry Coughlin (.516), and Siobhan Carnell (.500). Connor said he would like to see a little more production out of his team on a consistent basis.

But defensively, he couldn't be more pleased.

The team is anchored by shortstop Kasey O'Connell and third baseman Kathleen Lynch.

"I can't say enough about them," Connor said. "They make exceptional plays and make routine plays look, well, routine."

Bonanni and pitcher Brittany Folkins rotate at second base, depending on who is pitching, and Catherine O'Connell, no relation to Kasey, makes the plays at first base.

Coughlin, a catcher, said the infield's ability to take away hits and limit errors gives the pitchers confidence to throw whatever they need.

"We're doing really good," she said. "I think we have the best infield" in the Atlantic Coast League. "It's great watching them."

Coughlin said she believes the team has benefited from playing together the past two seasons.

"We've just been playing together for so long that we all trust each other," Coughlin said. "When you have trust it makes the players better."

Striking out batters is a nice option, but most of the time Bonanni said she is relying on location and her changeup to fool batters. And this season, the extended distance from the pitching rubber to the plate (from 40 to 43 feet) gives hitters a little more time to adjust, she said. At 5 feet 2, Bonanni (3-1 record with a 2.00 earned run average) said she is not trying to generate speed.

"When you have a good defense, it makes pitching so much easier because you know you can throw it over and they will make the play," she said.

"That's what makes me throw strikes more."

Folkins is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA, and along with Bonanni can hold her own against the league's stronger hitters. North Quincy is unbeaten in league play at 5-0.

"Against other pitchers in the league, they're not as fast but their changeup really gets people," Coughlin said. "They know to pitch it and the batters get confused."

Kasey O'Connell has been on the varsity for four years and a starter the last three seasons. She said this year's defense could be considered the strength not because it is perfect, but because it can limit the mistakes.

"If we do make an error," she said, "we forget about it and keep playing."