It doesn’t take much to spot talent in a crowd, and junior Lauren Salvati is the perfect example, as she is able to shine so early on in the Carmel High softball season. Despite having played only three games on the season thus far, Salvati has been a major factor in leading the team to a 2-1 record, and she does so with a bang.
Tuesday was no exception, and with the ball continuing to pop off of her live bat, she continued a hitting streak with a run-scoring triple in Carmel’s 6-1 win over Monterey.
Her performance on the field has been nothing less than stellar in all three of her games. Against Alvarez on March 4, the speedy centerfielder was able to cover ground and make plays on three fly balls, as well as excel at the plate with two hits and one RBI.
Against Watsonville on March 6, the ball exploded off the lefty’s bat for a solo game-winning homerun that rang off Carmel’s bus.
Such an excellent start to her season can be somewhat credited to the comfort she feels with her team, as she enjoys being around all of the girls.
“I love playing for my team,” Salvati expresses in regards to her energetic squad.
“It’s fun being co-captain with Maddi Randazzo and Amber Clark. We bond well and all work really hard, so I always look forward to going and putting in the effort every day.”
The common theme with the players on her team is that they all love winning, Salvati explains, which is one of the reasons she is able to compete with the talent she does.
It comes as no surprise that such performance has given her coach confidence in her abilities, and for the third straight season on varsity she has lived up to his expectations.
“Lauren is a model player,” explains coach Mike Odello of Salvati’s tireless efforts on the field. “She started out as a freshman on varsity and has improved dramatically, and [she] is as much of a ready ballplayer as you can have.”
He then goes on to say that she had a .600 batting average as a sophomore and has had perfect work ethic every season—a true lead-by-example kind of player.
The Padre softball team was scheduled to play North Salinas this Thursday, giving Salvati another chance to continue her hitting streak as well as her defensive performance.
-Lennie Rodriguez
