WORCESTER—Powered by both the arm and bat of senior righthander Bella Mara, the Saint Paul softball team is back in the Division I state quarterfinals for a second consecutive season.
Mara posted 15 strikeouts and did not allow an earned run as the seventh-seeded Knights (16-4) defeated #10 seed Marshfield 4-1 in the round of 16 on June 2 at Vernon Hill Park. Saint Paul advances to the round of eight, awaiting the winner of the Wednesday, June 4, Wachusett/Chelmsford game (at a time to be announced).
It’s not surprising that Mara and Saint Paul head coach Aimee Lee once again find themselves among the state’s softball elite. Although Lee has only coached at Saint Paul for the past three seasons, this duo has been working together for the last decade, since Mara was just eight years old.
Lee, a member of the Clark University Athletic Hall of Fame, was a standout pitcher and hitter for both the Cougars and in high school for Holy Name. She served as Mara’s first pitching coach, and the two have been a dynamic combination ever since.
“Even from the beginning she was the best coach,” said Mara. “She’s the best role model. She does everything for us and really cares about us. We all have so much trust in her.”
Mara, named one of Saint Paul’s athletes of the year for 2024-25, features an arsenal of six pitches: a fastball, change up, drop, curve ball, screw ball and rise—all of which she learned from Lee, her mentor, who calls every pitch during games.
“We just have such a nice bond,” said Lee. “When I’m calling pitches she just trusts me and I can trust her. We work so well together and it’s something that I’m just so lucky to have.”
Both Mara and Lee also reached milestones together this season—600 career strikeouts for Mara to go along with 200 career coaching wins for Lee.
Mara, who joins Assumption University’s softball team next year, was again one of the most dominant two-way players in central Massachusetts this spring. In 18 regular season games, she pitched a total of 124.2 innings, the most of any pitcher in the region. She compiled a record of 13-4 and maintained an impressive 0.96 earned run average with 211 strikeouts.
The senior captain was also one of the most feared hitters in the region, batting .559 with five home runs and 27 runs batted in during the regular season. In Saint Paul’s two state playoff victories, she is a perfect six-for-six at the plate with two home runs and three RBI. In the win over Marshfield she scored the first run of the game after launching a triple to get the offense flowing.
“Coming out today I was not losing,” said Mara after the win over Marshfield. “There was no option but winning. Keeping that mindset of ‘we can beat anyone’ is going to help us get far.”
Mara’s drive and determination to win have always been a big part of her personality according to Lee.
“From a young age, she always wanted to win,” said Lee. “She hated losing. She’s just so intense and competitive. She has grit, and that helps her to be so much better. That’s what separates her from everybody else.”
Although Mara has already graduated, she remains connected to Saint Paul for as long as the softball season continues. She is incredibly grateful for the guidance and support she has received from Lee for so many years.
“Since I was eight, I always looked up to her,” added Mara. “She was a great player and I want to be just like her. Being able to finish off my career in high school with her, it’s a really good feeling, no matter how it ends or what happens. It’s good knowing I’m going out with one of the best coaches.”
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
