Athlete of the week: Emily Mailloux

TURNERS FALLS, Mass. (WWLP) - The Turners Falls softball team is the top seed in the Division Three Western Mass Tournament. Indians senior pitcher Emily Mailloux is the 22News athlete of the week.

"Tournament season is huge, our goal is to win Western Mass and we've done it in the pas, so hopefully we'll reach it this year and hopefully we'll get further than that", says Mailloux.

Turners Falls has won eight straight Western Mass titles. This season they are dominating its competition. Turners finished the regular season 20-0.

"We had a lot of girls back from last year, we only were losing three, so we were pretty good to start off with but our team really came together this year and I think we did a great job", says Mailloux.

Mailloux is the teams' star pitcher. She averages one and a half strikeouts every inning, but credits her defense for her success.

"This year our defense is incredible, the girls stop balls like you wouldn't even believe", says the Turners Falls senior.

At the plate, Mailloux has also driven in the most runs on her team, including 4 home runs. On senior night, Mailloux pitched a two-hitter, and hit a home run and a double.

"To be my last night here at Turners Falls, it felt pretty good, hitting a home run and winning (against) Pioneer which is usually our rival, so it felt pretty good", says Mailloux.

What will feel really good is winning another Western Mass title. Mailloux has the experience and says nothing changes in playoffs.

"Mentally I just focus more, I just focus on my pitches, nothing really changes, it's all the same thing, we're there to win", says Mailloux.

Turners plays the winner of the St. Joseph's, Franklin Tech game in the Western Mass Quarterfinals.