WEST CANAAN — Mascoma High senior pitcher Mara Isham and senior catcher Paige Jette have played softball together for more than nine years.
As they grew up, developed as players and as people, and changed teams over the years, their pairing was an important constant for them.
Isham said that while she’s hard on herself when she pitches, seeing Jette behind the plate gives her a sense of relief.
“I’ve played travel softball for a couple years now, and catchers come and go,” Isham said. “But Paige has always been there.”
The innate trust and connection Isham and Jette share is extremely beneficial for pitchers and catchers.
Pitchers can feel emboldened to utilize their full pitch arsenal knowing their catcher will handle whatever comes at them and not let anything get by.
Catchers can find self-assurance in knowing their pitcher won’t mix up the pitch signals and cross them up.
Isham said Jette knows how she operates and when to take a mound visit to give her a breather. They’re more confident, especially in important game situations, because of their high level of trust.
They’re comfortable taking risks in big spots because they know they’re on the same page.
“It’s just a natural thing at this point,” Isham said. “We go out and she knows my warmup (routine), she knows what pitch I can throw, she knows what is best in each situation.”
Mascoma softball coach Chris Thurston said both Isham and Jette play key roles on the team.
Jette is a captain, and Isham is an important upperclassman team leader.
Thurston couldn’t describe what Isham and Jette’s connection looks like from the outside, but he said the bond is noticeable when Isham hurls to someone else.
“We have another catcher that’s been working with Mara, too, but you could definitely tell the connection between (Mara and Paige),” Thurston said. “They can pretty much read each other when they get on the mound and behind the plate. You can just tell that connection that they’ve got when they’re together.”
And while having a pitcher and catcher in sync like Isham and Jette are is important in normal circumstances, it was particularly useful given the canceled 2020 season.
Isham and Jette worked together some during the long layoff, and they both felt that they picked up where they left off when this season began.
But the bigger reason for that feeling is the constant work they did together during their sophomore season in 2019.
Mascoma had a pitcher and catcher one class ahead of Isham and Jette, so they were often left to work together on the side during practices.
“We picked up so much faster than we did going into our sophomore year because we had so much time to practice together during sophomore year,” Jette said. “We didn’t necessarily get as much game time, but that allowed us to excel in perfecting our craft and moving forward in the future seasons.”
Mascoma is off to a 3-0 start — one more win than the Royals posted in all of 2019 — and the senior battery is a big reason why. Isham is batting .500 with a 1.542 OPS. (On-base percentage plus slugging percentage; the average OPS in MLB in 2020 was .740.)
Jette owns a .545 batting average and a 1.182 OPS. They’ve been two of the team’s best hitters.
Isham has pitched in all three games, with one win and two saves.
“They’ve been a big asset to the team, putting in 150% every time they’re there,” Thurston said. “It’s been a huge help, for where we are so far this year.”
Realistically, the duo’s goal for the season is to win more games. Isham and Jette have seen the Royals at low points in the past, and they aren’t getting too far ahead of themselves with this season’s strong start.
But they see the potential in their team.
“I’m expecting to win quite a few more games and go into (the) playoffs with whatever record we have and go as far as possible,” Jette said. “I don’t know if we’ll get a championship out of it, but I know this team has it in them that we could if we have that opportunity.”
Isham is eyeing collegiate softball — she’s committed to Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I., and is hoping to play softball there.
Jette is signed to play field hockey at Lasell University in Newton, Mass.
The Royals hold their senior day on Friday, hosting Hanover.
Seth Tow can be reached at stow@vnews.com.