Unhittable and... underrated? Norwell's Donohue already has five no-hitters this year

NORWELL – There's no doubt about it: throwing a no-hitter is a pitcher's dream.

Throwing two in the same week? That sounds like an idealistic fantasy.

Throwing five before the end of the regular season?

That describes Maggie Donohue's senior campaign.

And it's more real of a scenario than anyone on the Norwell High softball team could've imagined.

“Any time you throw a no-hitter, it’s a surprise," head coach John Willis said. "But I’m not shocked with the success she’s had.”

More: Silver Lake's the new No. 1 in latest South Shore high school softball top 10 rankings

“I thought she was capable of doing it, but this many was kind of insane," senior catcher Taylor Veneto said. "I’ve never seen anyone throw this many no-hitters in one season before.”

Donohue secured her first no-hitter in a 12-0 win over Mashpee on Tuesday, May 3, and exactly one week later, she clinched her second in a 4-0 win over Carver. Her third came May 24 against Sandwich, a 17-0 win. She capped the regular season with another no-hitter against Rockland.

“I wasn’t really expecting this at all," said Donohue. "I owe it a lot to the players in the field, they make great plays when the ball is hit. They make the no-hitters, it’s not just me.”

When asked about his star pitcher, Willis kept reverting back to the word "underrated" because her two-way play can sometimes "fly under the radar," he said. But with a batting average over .400, an ERA below 2.00 and no-hitters sort of becoming a "been there, done that," the days of sneaking up on South Shore League batters are no longer.

“It’s funny – she throws a lot harder than people think," Willis said. "The thing with her, she makes you swing. She moves the ball around well, she’ll throw it low and she’ll throw a riser and get people to chase that."

During the early days of her high school career, Donohue had to wait her turn for the mound. In 2019, then-senior Chloe Hohmann, who was that season's South Shore League Sullivan MVP and was also nominated both an All-Scholastic and league All-Star each of her four years, was in front of her. At that point, Donohue was primarily a first baseman.

“She pitched a little, but you could see (the potential). It was nice as a coach to walk into a situation where you have an established pitcher, knowing (Donohue) was next in line," said Willis who took the coaching job in 2018, Hohmann's junior season. "(Donohue) has made my job easy, I’m really going to miss her next year. She’s put us in a position herself, we’re in every game.”

Norwell finished a 9-9 record and is currently slotted in at No. 32 in Division 3 in the latest MIAA power rankings. Teams above .500, as well as the top 32 in the rankings, qualify for the state tournament.

“We would be nowhere near a potential tournament berth if it weren’t for her,” Willis said of Donohue. “She’s kept us in it. She throws a lot of strikes. She’s a gamer.”

More: Archdiocese to close two South Shore churches, build replacement in Hanover

In the offseason training between her junior and senior seasons, Donohue said she mostly honed on in locating her changeup and screwball.

“It’s finally kicking in," Donohue said. "All the hard work is finally paying off.”

Veneto has been Donohue's catcher since the youth leagues, and ever since they joined the varsity ranks, Willis said there has been no question about the rapport they share.

“These past couple years have been the best I’ve ever seen out of her,” Veneto said. “It’s just really nice to see her grow ever since I started catching for her since fourth, fifth grade and now we’re seniors. It’s been a long road, but it’s been a good one.”

“(We've) always played on the same team, she's always been my catcher,” said Donohue. “If I didn’t have her behind the plate, I would not be as confident in anything. She knows exactly (what pitch to call). We just have very, very good chemistry.”

After this year, Donohue will attend Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and major in nursing. Is a continuation of her softball career in her future, too?

“We’ll see when I get there," responded Donohue, who added that she hasn't thought about it much as the workload of the nursing major comes first and foremost.

But as things stand now, all eyes are fixed on wrapping up the regular season and potentially pursuing the postseason. Norwell has clinched a tournament seed in three consecutive seasons, this would be the fourth. The Clippers were eliminated in the opening round last year.

“That would mean a lot. I feel like I’ve waited for this moment for a very long time,” said Donohue. “Hopefully we make it. I’m excited.”

And even if the rankings don't budge with Norwell being the 32nd and last team seeded, one thing is for certain: a quality day on the mound will give them at least a fighter's chance at an upset of a higher seed.

“I’m definitely more confident than ever," Donohue said. "Last year, we had a very young team with a lot of freshmen so I think we’re finally starting to mesh together more as a group. I have a lot of confidence in them to make the plays behind me.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore softball batters know all about Norwell's Maggie Donohue