Advertisement

Bolton's Breelin McDougal chose small, and it paid off big

carl adamec, journal inquirer, manchester, conn.
·7 min read

May 29—BOLTON — Breelin McDougal entered the circle at Granby with confidence two years ago in her first game for the Bolton High softball team.

She headed back to the bus for the ride home about 90 minutes later a bit shaken but from far from beaten.

"We got run-ruled," McDougal said of the the 16-0 five-inning loss to the Bears. "It was horrible. But I needed it. I had some success when I was younger but I needed to know, 'You're not the best. You have a lot of work in front of you. You have to get better.' "

kAm$@ D96 5:5]k^Am

kAm(96? E96 D6?:@C E26?E 7:CDE\82>6 C@F?5 82>6 H:E9 4@?76C6?46 C:G2= 2?5 }@] a' r2?E@? — q@=E@?'D 7:CDE A@DED62D@? 9@>6 82>6 D:?46 'hhd — D96'== 5@ D@ 2D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE\564@C2E65 A=2J6CD :? AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

kAmp?5 H9:=6 :E 4@F=5 36 96C =2DE 82>6 H:E9 E96 qF==5@8D[ D96 :D 9@A67F= E92E D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= :D DE2CE:?8]k^Am

kAm"(6 92G6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 8@ 72C[" |4s@F82= D2:5] "(6 92G6 D@>6 8C62E D6?:@CD 5@H? E@ E96 7C6D9>6? 2?5 H6'G6 AFE :? E96 H@C@>6?E] tG6CJ@?6 :D 2?I:@FD 2?5 ?6CG@FD :? DE2E6 82>6D] (6 ?665 E@ A=2J E96 H2J H6 6 2==\}rrr D6=64E:@? @? 96C H2J E@ 36:?8 ?2>65 p==\$E2E6 7@C 2 D64@?5 E:>6]k^Am

kAm$96 C64@C565 96C '__E9 42C66C 9:E :? 2 H:? 2E q24@? p4256>J @? |2J 'h] %96 q6?E=6J &?:G6CD:EJ\4@>>:E :D 2=D@ BF2=:7:65 E@ 36 2? 24256>:4 p==\$E2E6 A:4H:E9 2 7@FC\J62C v!p @7 36EE6C E92? b]d] $96 92D >256 E96 9@?@C C@== :? 6G6CJ >2C6 >@C6 @7 2 82>6 >2?286C[" q@=E@? 4@249 %@> $E] {@F:D D2:5] "(96? D96 H2D 2 D@A9@>@C6 D96 76=E =:6] xE H2D =:6C 6G6CJ 2E\32E] qFE ?@H D96 >26 2 D>2CE6C 2?5 >@C6 >2EFC6 A=2J6C]"k^Am

kAmxE 5:5?'E 4@>6 62DJ]k^Am

kAm$96 DE2CE65 A=2J:?8 D@7E32== :? 7@FCE9 8C256 H96? 96C 72>:=J =:G65 :? ':C8:?:2 3642FD6 96C 7C:6?5D A=2J65]k^Am

kAm"x H2D =: 8@:?8 E@ 5@ E9:D[' " |4s@F82= D2:5] "p?5 x H2D 9@CC:3=6] x H2D 5@H?C:89E 2H7F=] qFE x J 525] xE 3642>6 2 9F86 A2CE @7 >6 2?5 x 3642>6 G6CJ 565:42E65]k^Am

kAm"tG6? ?@H[ x'== 92G6 2 325 AC24E:46 x'== 42== >J 525 2?5 D2J[ 'r2? H6 8@ E@ E96 7:6=5 2?5 86E D@>6 H@C:?n' x =62C?65 23@FE A6CD6G6C2?46 2?5 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 8C@H 7C@> J@FC >:DE26 E@ H@C@G65 H:E9 96C 72>:=J 7C@> ':C8:?:2 E@ r@=F>3:2 367@C6 DE2CE:?8 6:89E9 8C256] $96 BF6DE:@?65 H96E96C E@ 4@?E:?F6 A=2J:?8 2D D96 562=E H:E9 A6CD@?2= :DDF6D @? 2?5 @77 E96 7:6=5[ 3FE 3J E96 E:>6 96C 7:?2= ;F?:@C 9:89 D62D@? DE2CE65 D96 H2D C625J E@ C@==]k^Am

kAmw6C ?6IE 564:D:@?[ 2D 2 r@=F>3:2 C6D:56?E[ H@F=5 36 H96C6 E@ 8@ E@ 9:89 D49@@= — q@=E@? @C t]~] $>:E9 — 2?5 =@42E:@? 2?5 24256>:4D H@F=5 A=2J C@=6D :? E92E 42==]k^Am

kAm"%96 >2:? C62D@? x 49@D6 q@=E@? H2D @? E96 @77\492?46 E92E x 6?565 FA ?@E A=2J:?8 D@7E32== :? E96 7FEFC6 2?5 8@:?8 E@ &r@??[ x 5:5?'E H2?E E@ 36 @? &r@??'D 42>AFD 7@C 6:89E J62CD[" |4s@F82= D2:5] "x 2==6C D49@@=] x? ':C8:?:2 E96C6 H6C6 b__ J 4=2DD] xE H2D 9F86] p D>2==6C DEF56?E\E@\E62496C C2E:@ H2D H92E x H2?E65]"k^Am

kAm|4s@F82= Wd\7@@E\bX[ H9@ 2=D@ A=2J65 G@==6J32== 2E q@=E@?[ H@F=5 92G6 E@ H2:E 2 J62C E@ DE2CE 96C D49@=2DE:4 D@7E32== 42C66C 2D E96 rxpr 42?46=65 E96 a_a_ D62D@? 5F6 E@ E96 A2?56>:4]k^Am

kAm$96 >256 2? :>>65:2E6 :>A24E 2D 2 D@A9@>@C6 :? a_a' 3FE 2 3:8 56G6=@A>6?E H2D 96C ;@:?:?8 E96 EC2G6= AC@8C2> x>A24E] xE 96=A65 96C C2:D6 96C 82>6 E@ 2? p==\$E2E6 =6G6= 2D 2 ;F?:@C 2?5 E96 qF==5@8D 7:?:D965 H:E9 2 H:??:?8 C64@C5]k^Am

kAm"|J D@A9@>@C6 J62C x 564:565 E92E x H2?E65 E@ A=2J :? 4@==686[" |4s@F82= D2:5] '$@ H96? x ;@:?65 x>A24E[ E96J E@=5 >6 x ?66565 E@ 86E 6G6CJE9:?8 @FE E96C6]k^Am

kAm"uC@> ;F?:@C E@ D6?:@C J62C[ x'> '__ A6C46?E 36EE6C] {2DE DF>>6C H:E9 >J EC2G6= E62> H2D E96 36DE D62D@? x'G6 925 :? >J =:76] x C62==J AFE 6G6CJE9:?8 :?E@ :E] p?5 ?@H 8@:?8 E@ q6?E=6J[ x 92G6 6IA64E2E:@?D E@ >66E] x 92G6 >@C6 8C@H:?8 E@ 5@] %96C6'D 2?@E96C =6G6= E92E x 42? C6249]"k^Am

kAm$96 4@>>:EE65 E@ q6?E=6J :? $6AE6>36C] p44@C5:?8 E@ |4s@F82=[ 4@249 %6CCJ |4s@?@F89 DA@EE65 96C H9:=6 C64CF:E:?8 x>A24E E62>>2E6 t==2 qF?@GD>2E6D 2E q6?E=6J]k^Am

kAm"x 925 2 76H s\b @776CD[" |4s@F82= D2:5] "%96 q6?E=6J 4@249 42>6 E@ D66 t==2] x H2D?'E 6G6? A=2J:?8 3FE x H2D 4966C:?8[ 36:?8 FA362E[ ECJ:?8 E@ 36 E96 =@F56DE A6CD@? @? E96 36?49] $96 D2H >6 2?5 E2=J 4@2496D] }6IE 82>6[ =F46[ x 9:E 2 9@>6 CF?] $96 D2H >6 A:E49 2?5 2D@?E9D =2E6C[ D96 @776C65 >6 2 DA@E @? E96 C@DE6C]"k^Am

kAm|4s@F82= 4C65:ED 96C 72E96C r9C:D[ 2 a_\J62C p:C u@C46 G6E6C2?[ 7@C E96 A@D:E:G6 2EE:EF56 D96 3C:?8D E@ E96 82>6]k^Am

kAm$96 4@F=5 62C? 2 A2CE:2= 2E9=6E:4 D49@=2CD9:A 56A6?5:?8 @? 96C A=2J[ D@ :? 2 H2J D96'D 36EE:?8 @? 96CD6=7]k^Am

kAm"x E@@2 E@FC 2?5 x =@G65 E96 42>AFD[" |4s@F82= D2:5] "x H2D ?@E 6IA64E:?8 E92E 'p\92' >@>6?E 3FE :E H2D] q6:?8 H:E9 E96 E62> H2D 2H6D@>6] xE H2D 2 72>:=J J@F 5:5?'E 6] x 925 H@C 2?5 x >256 :E] %96 492?46 E@ 86E >@?6J ... x 26 ?@:D6 :? r=2DD $]k^Am

kAmq@=E@? 7:?:D965 :? 2 E:6 7@C 7@FCE9 :? E96 }rrr[ >:DD:?8 @FE @? 2 DA@E :? E96 4@?76C6?46 E@FC?2>6?E 3J 2 E:6\3C626 @? |2J 'e H96? |4s@F82= 7:C65 2 EH@\9:EE6C :? 2 h\_ 9@>6 H:? @G6C vC2?3J] w2G:?8 72465 E96 =:CJ? u:D96C[ 2?5 #@46?E]k^Am

kAmqFE H92E6G6C 92AA6?D[ |4s@F82= 92D >256 96C >2C:4D @C H92E6G6C D96 49@@D6D E@ 5@[ qC66=:? H:== 36 DF446DD7F=[" $E] {@F:D D2:5] "$96 5@6D ?@E AC@F5 E@ 36 96C 4@249] $96'D ;FDE @?6 @7 E9@D6 DA64:2= <:5D]"k^Am

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.