THE THUNDERBIRDS: North Branford Softball Chases More Championships

One of the best kept secrets in Connecticut high school softball might be the North Branford Thunderbirds.

Over the past five seasons, the Thunderbirds have posted a 112-18 record with multiple Shoreline League championships and three appearances in the Class S state championship.

Last spring, North Branford won its first state title in school history, edging St. Paul's Catholic 4-2 in the final.

Head coach Nick DeLizio, captain Lauren Vitarisi and senior Ava Ryszczyk, the MVP of last year's state title tilt, join us to chat about the team and the upcoming season.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:08

Hi everyone, welcome to the Inside Corner, Connecticut's softball podcast with John Nash. I'm Rob Adams, and John, we're going at least up 95 from me. We're heading toward North Brantford this afternoon.

SPEAKER_04 0:22

We are. We're headed up to the shoreline where we're talking with three members of the North Brantford Thunderbirds, the defending Class S champions from a year ago that had a remarkable five-year run over these fast past five seasons. And joining us uh for this week's podcast, our head coach Nick Delisio, senior captain Lauren Viderisi, and also senior Ava Risick, who also happened to be the MVP of last year's state championship game, and she's got a remarkable story to tell, which we'll get to in a moment. Uh, coach, players, welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Thank you. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_04 1:00

No worries. And Nick, let's start with you. You know, uh, this five-year run you've been on since COVID, basically, is you're right up there, probably with any team in the state in terms of winning percentage and and that type of thing. How have you guys done it?

SPEAKER_02 1:15

I mean, I've had great players, great girls. Uh, that's number one. You gotta have some talent. Uh, so through the years, we've had some talented girls, we've had dedicated girls to not just the program, but to themselves on getting better year after year. I mean, most of the girls that uh have come through our program, it's been a softball first sport for them. So that's one of the things that uh obviously helps. It's not a like a secondary sport, their main love is that. So you know, when you have that and they want to get better and excel at a sport, it definitely elevates the program. Um, so I'll definitely say having talent is huge, and obviously growing as a coach too. You know, you always want to get better. You can't settle, you know. We want the players to grow, but we also want uh I have to grow myself and become obviously I always look at myself, how can I become better? Obviously, with you know, there's certain game aspects. A lot of it is usually team management stuff, kind of understanding that, and always keeping the attitude up. You know, every year we talk about buying in and having a good attitude and having the girls kind of treat it like a family because it's you know, we have this great little mantra, they're gonna make a smirk right now, but tradition doesn't graduate. That kind of came across as uh we came through like after COVID. I wanted to kind of keep that alive. I heard it in a college uh softball world series, someone said it in some sort of interview, and it kind of stuck, and I thought that would be really cool to kind of have the ideology that the tone gets set, and these girls have a a chance to make a mark on their career, on the program within the time there, and uh it's you know that's where it's been very special and obviously has led to the success.

SPEAKER_04 3:06

You gotta put that on a t-shirt or something.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Oh, it's on plenty.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Oh, it's on many.

SPEAKER_04 3:10

It's on Yeah, I was gonna say, you know, unofficially over the past five years, 112 wins, 18 losses, multiple shoreline titles, three state final appearances, I believe, but right, and then last year was the first one. Correct. What was the what was the shape of the program before COVID? You were still competitive, right?

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Yeah, I mean, uh let's see, I came in on 2015. I think every year from there, it was 15. We made it to the we won the Shorelines. So yeah. 2015 was my first year. We won the Shorelines quarterfinals. 16, same thing, shorelines quarterfinals. 17 Shorelines lost in the state championship to Seymour. Class M on a one-run game. I, you know, we I thought we had it. 18 Shorelines, undefeated regular season, and we ended up losing in the state semifinals. Um 19 won the Shorelines, lost in the first round. Uh we were we had a uh the season where I think was like more of like a 12-8 regular season, but we found ways to scrap it together, and uh we won the shorelines. We beat a very good valley team that year with a good pitcher that went to Dayton, and uh we ended up getting ousted in the first round. So, and then 2020 happened with COVID no season and 21 we uh went to the championship and that was for both. And yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:35

You got to be the the head coach of one of the best kept softball secrets in the state. Uh, do you think I mean do you feel overlooked a little bit because you've had this huge success, yet when you think of you know who are the best teams in the state, you hear Cheshire, you hear Massick, obviously for very good reasons, but your numbers, with the exception of seven straight state titles that Massick wins, are right up there with them.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

I mean, sometimes you feel like you're usually early on and all that stuff, but to you know, you you say that you might get overlooked, but you also have to prove what you're gonna do, what these other teams have done. You know, obviously Massick, that's a powerhouse to begin with, which seven seven straight titles is absolutely insane. Uh in a very difficult Class L uh Tournament uh bracket and all that every year. Um, you know what? I really don't care about what the other people like think as far as if they're gonna say, hey, North Bayer for this, North Bayer for that. It's tough. We went from class M and we dropped to S. So you obviously people think S, it's a lesser class, but the pitching is just as good. I mean, I remember a couple years ago, you you had pitchers from Shepag, that girl, I forgot her name, went to uh USF. You had Lily Kenny from uh Cromwell going on Delphine. There were some awesome pitchers as well. Yeah, and Elizabeth Mitchell at Coventry. Elizabeth Mitchell at Coventry, all that stuff, like and you know, we've had the pitching to keep up with that too. Obviously, you need to have pitching. And so, yeah, you can say you get looked at but uh differently, but class S is always gonna kind of get some shade, I feel. No matter what sport you are in, uh, you're never gonna get the same thing. I mean, last year, not last year, two years ago, we played Massick in the regular season, and it was a back and forth game. We were up, we were ahead on them, I think, four to three, and we walk we lost on a walk-off grand slam by Julia Baculis. And you know, it was just like that. It was just something crazy. We beat them. You don't know, like, you know, hey, we showed that we could play against the best that year, and they had Nelly Leto in center. That I mean, that team was loaded, and we hung with them. Maybe they took us for granted, but uh our girls were there battling game in and game out that uh year, and uh, and we also faced Cam Fisher that uh later on that season, lost on a we had a botch play, I believe, in the first inning, kind of a miscommunication thing, and that was it. But it was still a back and forth game. So we've we've we book our schedule to make it pretty difficult to set us up for a state tournament. So we try to do what we can and um to kind of get that program out uh in the state and try to get people seen. And you know, we like I said, we had the players, you got the horses, you know, let them run.

SPEAKER_04 7:20

And let's turn to your picture, Lauren. Uh what's it like to be a part of the North Brantford program?

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Oh, this is funny. Well, I mean, obviously, it's so exciting. We had or like coming into it, I knew that the team had a lot of success. Um, but even just being a part of something so big, all the girls, we've worked so hard, we have so much fun together, especially um this season. I feel like it's going good starting. Um, but yeah, it's just exciting. It's something that I can turn to to have fun and compete and play with my friends.

SPEAKER_04 7:49

And that's the thing you knew you were joining a really, really strong program. Did you feel pressure, you know, stepping into the circle for them and representing your team, or or were you excited to get there to show what you could do?

SPEAKER_00 8:01

I mean, I'm obviously excited. Junior year was when I started pitching. I mean, I know I had big shoes to fill, but I feel Niz if Niz didn't believe in me, he wouldn't have put me in that position. So I believed in myself. Everyone behind me was there to support me. So yeah, I was a little nervous, but I figured it out.

SPEAKER_04 8:16

Now you said your junior year you started pitching. You were a pitcher before that, but you mean you just started pitching.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Yeah, I started pitching.

SPEAKER_04 8:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

Yes, it was.

SPEAKER_04 8:23

I was gonna say that would have been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

And you know, Ava, what when I hear your story, and I'm gonna let you tell it, you know, last year leading up to the state tournament, coach kind of filled me in already. But for you to go everything that you went through leading into your junior year leading up to that game in the state tournament, it's almost like you gotta pinch yourself that that did that really happen. Just just take our listeners through your your junior junior season and everything that happened to you leading up to the state title.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

So I had surgery my sophomore year, understanding that I was not gonna be able to play. I was willing to do that because I wanted to come back my junior year. The team is very successful. I was excited since eighth grade to come and play for the high school. Um, when I found out I needed a second surgery the fall of my junior year. I was hesitant on it because I wanted to make the season. My first question to my surgeon was, Am I gonna be able to play this year? And he told me that there was a great possibility. So I took the risk. I had risk, I had surgery in December. And I was at PT three times a week. I had a bike at home that I was biking every day, three times a day, to make sure that I didn't end up back in that scenario where I had to have another surgery. Um, when I had was about four months post op, he told me that everything was looking good. It was around March, I think, that I had told Niz that I was gonna make it back and for the end of the season. I came back, I want to say early May, because I think I made around I played about five regular season games, somewhere around there before we went into shorelines into states. And I told Niz, I said, anywhere you need me, hitting, fielding, I want to be part of this team in a way that we could go win a state championship. And I he me and him talked. We decided I was gonna DH for the team. My surgeon was good with it. He said you could go. He was like, just go figure out if it's gonna work or not. And it did, and it was the best way it could have possibly happened. And we went to the states, we won the championship, and I honestly I was just so into that game that I didn't go into it wanting to be like player of the game MVP. Like Lauren pitched an amazing game, the girls had a great game, fielding-wise. We were so defensively into that game, it saved us completely. And when I got MVP, I was like, I exact exactly what you said, I had to pinch myself to be like, is this real? Like, I've worked so hard for the past three years to make sure I could come back and do this. For we made history for the high school, and that's all that mattered.

SPEAKER_04 11:18

And what was the nature of the injury?

SPEAKER_01 11:21

I had a torn labrum in my hip.

SPEAKER_04 11:24

Ooh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Yes, and it was my back hip too for like swinging. It was my right hip.

SPEAKER_04 11:29

So and and coach, you know, you told me uh when we talked, uh, I think it was last night, you know, what she did in the state game. Just talk about her coming back, her performance, and and what she did to you guys, what she added to to North Brantford uh during that run.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

I knew I always I was talking to my coaching staff, I even talked to my father too. Like, this is you know, I bounce idea, he's a baseball guy too, and I said, if Ava can come back, she said we kind of she kind of gave me that uh time frame like in May. So in May, our schedule was getting tougher, and we didn't have that many games left. It was really, I think, only like th four, three or four games left. I know it was like May 15th, I believe. And uh it was against NFA, and the practices leading up to it, like we we had her kind of go ahead, it wasn't clear for games, but we had her go and uh at least go and hit. Let's see how it feels, you know. And I mean, I'm watching her hit, and these ball the ball's flying off the bat, and I'm like, this is this is the secret weapon. This is the the extra bat that we have that in the lineup, and on top of what we've already had between Lauren on the Hill pitching fantastic and our upper classmen there doing well, and everybody kind of you know g going in, nobody knew who Ava was. So I'm like, this is great because you're gonna get people are gonna get a scouting report. Yeah, they're familiar with what we have in our lineup, but we had three games really with Ava in the lineup. I'm like, no what? And I wasn't worried. I put her, I mean, you can ask her, I put her in the high pressure spot. She bent fourth. I'm gonna put her right in the cleanup role right then and there, and then things started to figure out, and it worked out really well. You know, uh a lot of people, you know, sometimes you have those nerves or whatever, and you work them through. And I knew Ava was a mentally strong person. The the team behind her was a strong supporting staff or uh supporting crew, and my staff was very supportive of her. So there was that we had a lot of leadership, and like you could see that how it obviously helped us go into that game. And going into that game, I felt fantastic. I the all the girls felt great, like it was not like this nerve thing, you know. Sometimes people, oh my god, we're here. We're no surprise, they worked hard, and you know, if you asked us the beginning of the season last year, because we thought the year before that was our like one of our strongest teams, and then we graduate all these ep girls, you know, how are we gonna be? And we just took it game by game, and I think that's what you have to do. Um, and I mean, we had uh one of the we won the first uh state title for in programs in history, one out of uh four times, I guess, or however many times this program one out of five, and I think they went back in 77. So hey, that's good. It was awesome. They can call themselves state champions forever.

SPEAKER_04 14:19

And tell us what Ava did in that game.

SPEAKER_02 14:22

I mean, I think you had two RBIs out of that game. We had a single in the first inning that scored a run, and uh, and then another single, I believe, that we ended up scoring on. That was two. I think we won four to two. Uh like she said, too, that the defense that game was amazing. We had fantastic plays getting made in the outfield and infield. We had Lauren in that game. We had the bases loaded, and Lauren got out of a jam and just calm, cool, collective, figured it out. Like that was a huge moment. I believe it was like the fifth inning or so. Lauren, you know you remember better than I do. Fifth inning, and it was like bases loaded. You're like, oh my god, here we go. We got the uh we got power hitters up, and we ended up getting out of it. It was it was really good.

SPEAKER_04 15:13

So, you know, and and I think I I I I read the uh game story a little bit last night, and was that the game, Lauren, where after that inning you just casually walked off like it was just a random one, two, three inning and showed no emotion at all. And yeah, I mean, are you that type of player? I mean, I would have been fist pumping and you know out of my mouth, but you have to stay calm, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Um, but after you can't get too cocky, might come back and bite you.

SPEAKER_04 15:38

Very good point. And that's a point after a pitcher. And and talk about Ava, everything that she went through, you know, with the hip issue and all that, you know, as a teammate, as a friend, to see her come back and have that type of finish to her junior year and what it meant to your program.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Yeah, no, we're all very excited. We're all very excited for her to come back and very proud of what she did. Um, we're all very supportive, as Niss said, even the coaching staff. So just to see her be able to come back and play the game that she loved was we're all very happy for her.

SPEAKER_04 16:08

No, it's that's pretty awesome. But let's not live in the past because this is about the future. And in 2026, coach, what do you have going on up there uh on on the uh shores of the Long Island Sound in North Brantford, which I guess is not quite as on the sound as uh Brantford, but just uh what do you got going on this year uh on the field?

SPEAKER_02 16:28

So this year, I mean, our our team is a little bit smaller. We have uh 15 girls in the programs because we graduated a lot and only got two freshmen in. So we have that. But one thing that I think that's really good is um what we talked about today at practice, the attitude. Everyone's supportive. The girls that were on the team last year know what it's know what it takes. And I mean, with two new freshmen that came in, everybody experienced the same thing last year. We've all gone through all the practices, they know what it's like to be on the in the tournament, in the tournament play. So the expectations are high, and obviously, and the standards are always set high. Um having a good attitude and not looking too far ahead, taking it game by game, doing things with intent. Uh I mentioned this today too. Like every day is an interview on how they're going. It's a tryout because you gotta be better tomorrow than what you were today. And you gotta grow as a player, uh, obviously in the sense of a softball IQ, then skill-wise, but also grow as a person and being there supporting one another and just being having a team first attitude is number one. You know, you know, Ava said just want wanting to go ahead and win together. Win together. How can they leave their mark? What's the you know, what's their legacy? Um going back to tradition doesn't graduate. Now let's we have a new senior class in here. You know, they're setting the tone. We have new freshmen coming in. It's a new season. You know, it's great. We you know, we had all the ring ceremony, all that stuff. Fantastic, but it is a new season. So what you want to do is take from what went well last year as far as things that you can control, like your attitude, like your work ethic, what you do in the offseason. I mean, you can ask them this year what our offseason was like. Our off season was, on their request, 5 30 a.m. workouts four days a week from December to mid-March.

SPEAKER_04 18:29

They're acting like a hockey team.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

I mean, that was the time our gym is always full with other athletes and uh teams. So get kind of finding that discipline to get up, and it's tough, especially as a high schooler. Who the heck wants to wake up that early? But they found ways to you know to get themselves better, get them stronger, and uh obviously because they wanna they want to do exactly what they did last year. So, you know, one day at a time, but still having that work ethic, that vision, and uh that drive.

SPEAKER_04 19:03

From a player's perspective, what were those mornings like? Because you know, if you're at the gym at 5 30, you're getting up at what, 5, 4.45, something like that. You gotta grab breakfast or a protein drink. I mean, what was that like for you guys to get up that early and be that committed?

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Some days were extremely hard. They, I mean, if you're up late the night before doing homework, doing schoolwork, you always have to get up the next morning. There'll be some mornings where I'd wake up and I'd be laying there and I'm like, I don't feel like getting up today. But to know what I want to do for our program and for our team and for the girls that play on the field with me, I got up, I went to work out, and then you go to class right after. We either would shower there or go back to like each other's houses that lived close by, shower and go to class. And you're tired during school, but you have to find a way. If you really want it, you'll always find a way to consistently put in the work just for your sport and school too. You have to keep your grades up. That's our main thing. You always our schoolwork always comes first, so you just have to find a way to balance it.

SPEAKER_03 20:10

What are you doing at 5 30 in the morning, Rob? Still sleeping? I'm trying to sleep. Normally I've got a cat that's trying to wake me up, but uh yeah, I'm trying to sleep. Let's put it that way.

SPEAKER_04 20:20

That's that's darn impressive uh by you girls, that's for sure. Uh, you know, Nick, obviously we we have Ava here, we have uh Lauren here, you have three other seniors uh on the roster, I believe. Just talk a little bit about them and the leadership they bring as seniors to this team.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

Absolutely. I know we have Maddie DeStefano. Uh Maddie's a very happy-go-lucky girl. She um she was part of a she plays field hockey, and our field hockey program is one of the best in the state of Connecticut. We we have the best coach in Connecticut. I will say that hands down. Babby Noon, she's a legend, national hall of fame coach. Uh so she's won state titles with uh with them. So Maddie has a state title appearance with that, or more than appearance of a ring. You all we also have uh she's also the manager along with Ashley Biridesco, who plays for us as a senior of the basketball team who just won the state title. So, you know, you're part of that stuff. You know, so yeah, Maddie with that brings some leadership in. She brings a great positive attitude, a lot of energy. Ashley is a very calm, cool, collective person, keeps it even keel. She's a great person to talk to, puts her studies first, and uh does a great job adapting year after year of where we need her to play, and she continues to grow. We've uh we've moved her to first this year, and she's done a really good job, and she's open, she's asking questions. And then we have Sophia Luddington who's just been a great person, team first mentality, works hard, really understands what it takes uh to be a role player and to help the other girls and be there for him. She really. Is selfless. She looks out for others, will ask questions. It's she's an amazing human to have on that team and such an integral part of our program that you know you don't win without these girls at all. They've experienced it. They've they come to practice every day, they put in the work as well, they've experienced what we've experienced as far as success, our ups, our downs, and all of that. So I rely on the seniors. I mean, after the end of every practice, it's I'll give some input, coaches, and then it's the seniors. Because I always the seniors are the ones that drive the bus. They're the drivers, drive the bus. You know, it's in their uh hands. They're the ones that have been through this program, understand the rigors of what it means to uh put the work in day in and day out and what I'm about, obviously. You know that sometimes I have my moments that practice where maybe I'm not the happiest guy if something is not done right, but they're the ones that pull the girls aside. Like, don't worry, let them yell a little bit. This is what you need to do, do what you need to do. So it works out in regards to that.

SPEAKER_04 23:05

You know, you got three juniors, five sophomores, the two freshmen that you talked about. Just who are some of the other key players that are gonna be uh playing key roles for you? Obviously, with a small team, all of them, but on the field, between the baselines, who else are we looking at that are gonna shine bright for you guys?

SPEAKER_02 23:21

You know, as far as uh juniors, we have Aaliy Martone, really good player. She played second for us last year. This year she'll be catching as well as some second base, middle infield, whatever we need. Um, but yeah, she's a great athlete and plays all three positions really well. Um we have Adrienne Frost, plays third base. Last year, I put her on third, wasn't even a third baseman. I go, Did you ever play third? She goes, No. I think she's the best, one of the best third basemen uh defensively I've ever had. Ever. She has made so many great plays, diving plays, so many runs saved, heads up. I mean, you can ask Lauren right there when in the if there's a bunt lay down, Adrian's right there laying out strong arm. She has definitely helped with it. You know, we have the saver metrics in baseball, but the defensive runs saved, she would probably lead the state in 100%. Uh we have Sam Johnson, who got some varsity starts last year in the outfield. So she was a big part of it, kind of fills that role defensively, understands what it is to play against uh big competition. She was one of the starters when we played Massick and uh uh filled in some big shoes when we had some injuries last year, good base runner. So and then sophomores, we have Addy White, who had uh some varsity time last year, can hit the ball with some pop in it. Uh we're trying her at different positions. We should we know she plays first, we know she's in the outfield. Outfield's kind of new to her, so we're working with that. Um Sophia Virginelli, another girl that uh is getting used to new positions. Uh we also have Adrian, going back to Adrienne Frost, she also pitches as well to give Lauren a break. You know, that can uh pitching 27 games can take a toll, but Adrian Frost can definitely go ahead and relieve that too. So she's a really good pitcher, throws hard, has some good stuff as well. Um and then we have I'm trying to think of what else we have. A couple other girls. We have Lexi Durkin out there, we have Ava, DiFrancesco, a lot of speed in Ava for sure. We have Cadence, uh Caparol, she is a you know a great girl, a great teammate to have. Um and then into our freshman. I'm hoping I'm going I'm off the top of my cuff right now. I'm like just thinking who else we have. Uh like so. Oh, we have so we have Tessa uh Delusha, good solid freshman, hits the ball hard. You know, she'll be finding time. Should she can play uh second, middle infield, as well as we're getting her to catch a little bit too, because we really don't have a backup uh catcher in regards to that, so we have always have to have options. And uh we have Brielle Rolston, and she's uh the other freshman playing third, first, doing some corner stuff. Everybody's learning, everybody's buying in, and I think that's the best thing that we can have right now. So yeah, that's where we're at.

SPEAKER_03 26:16

That is impressive. You basically ran through the entire roster, and I'm looking at that roster. I'm checking each name off. That's a that's a heck of a job, coach.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

I don't think I did.

SPEAKER_03 26:25

I don't think you did. Um, it's always too easy to ask a coach this, so I'm gonna I I'm just just gonna cherry pick and say, Ava, for you and then Lauren for you. Um are there any challenges this team will face? What do you see down the road?

SPEAKER_01 26:41

I think our biggest challenge this year will be like almost kind of like experience throughout the games. Like, we definitely there are some girls like Hail Ray has Lily Jane, she's an amazing picture. Um, she works the bell the ball very well. So having younger girls um up at bat against her could be challenging. Um, she likes to go high in the zone a lot. And throughout the years, like I'm sure Lauren can vouch for this too. Like, being older, you understand the discipline and like you start to see it out of like the pitcher's hands sooner of like where the ball's kind of gonna go. Um, so I think that'll be our biggest challenge. But honestly, we have such good support throughout the team that and like communication between all of us that like even at practice, we're constantly like helping the other girls, giving them adjustments at bats defensively. So I don't think anything besides that is gonna really be hard for us.

SPEAKER_00 27:35

Yeah, no, I totally agree. Um, all the underclassmen, they're all working really hard, they all bought in, as Niz would say. Um, but yeah, as long as we're there helping them, I mean, yeah, they're inexperienced, but everyone wants to see them succeed.

SPEAKER_03 27:48

And coach, I'll I'll throw at you if there were any game that I would circle and say, boy, I really want to go see North Brantford, it's this game. What game would it be?

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Oh, that's a tough one. We got a tough schedule, uh, especially out of conference. Obviously, Hail Ray is a strong team in the conference along with HK and Valley. If you're looking out of conference, we're playing Amity. That'll be interesting this year. They're a very good squad. We're playing law again. Berlin NFA. NFA has always given us trouble. We beat them last year, but you know, it's always been a tough game. Uh so our out of conference is NFA, Berlin, Amity, Law, and East Haven. So in conference, it's you know, HK, Hail Ray, Valley are ones that you probably would want to circle. And then with out of conference, I would say definitely Amity, Law, NFA, those those three out of conference are they're tough. I mean, you don't want to make one game more important than the other. Sure. Because no matter if you play, a win's a win. It's gonna count if you beat an 0-20 team or if you're gonna be a 19-on-one team, you know, so they all count the same. Um, just got to go and take it one game at a time and you know, just have some discipline at the plate and make the plays and just be there and have a good attitude.

SPEAKER_03 29:06

John and I are often talking about broadcasting games, and North Brantford plays Amity on May 9th. And believe it or not, John, right now my schedule is open. Make a note.

SPEAKER_04 29:19

That's the day after my birthday, so girls cover your ears. I'll see how I feel that morning, but we'll definitely uh that's that's the big 6-0 for me, so that's a big one. Oh wow. Hard to believe. I know. Big one. But uh uh, but yeah, I love the way you guys aren't ducking anybody again. North Brantford, the Thunderbirds, class S, small school with a big softball program, and and Nick Delisio, head coach, Ava Risick, and uh Lauren Bitter Bitterisi. Can't uh thank you guys enough for joining us, and then hopefully uh, you know, just we're opening up the world of softball uh here in Connecticut uh to people that maybe didn't know the whole North Brantford story and then to hear you guys tell it. I'm excited to see you guys play this year and and chase down that title as well. So uh um just you know, thanks for being here. And and and Rob, I guess if we are gonna close it up, we always like to see the the little it's not even Cinderella, it's just the David versus the the Goliath, so to speak. And you always love to see the the little the little team that could win.

SPEAKER_03 30:22

And I love a team like this, John, that could stand up against anyone in the state. I I love this kind of of team to to cover. So it's been it's been a pleasure to have you along. We thank you all for your time.

SPEAKER_02 30:33

Oh, thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 30:36

John, I think that'll wrap this one up as we get ready to say goodbye, and we'll do it again uh next week.

SPEAKER_04 30:42

Yeah, and we're back to uh posting every Wednesday. Um who knows who we'll be talking to, but we'll be talking softball with somebody here in the state of Connecticut.

SPEAKER_03 30:50

Time running out on this one, so we will see you next week. That'll do it for this edition of the Inside Corner Connecticut Softball Podcast. For John Nash, I'm Rob Adams. We'll talk to you next time.