Senior captain Holly Paharik snares a liner at shortstop during a recent game. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

The start of the season for the Hopkinton High School softball team felt like a sprint, according to coach Shannon Allberry-Yerardi, and the Hillers were leading the pack heading into the final few contests, with wins in 10 of their first 11 Tri-Valley League games.

For Allberry-Yerardi, it’s like a continuation of last year’s 14-win campaign, when the Hillers earned a spot in the state tournament.

“On the first day of tryouts this spring, I explained to the team that we were expecting to pick up right where we left off,” she said. “We approached it that way, and we had a really strong start.”

The success has been driven by numerous standout performances. As of mid-May, junior catcher Caroline Ozmun was leading the team in runs batted in with what her coach described as a “ridiculous number” through the first 15 games.

“She is a leader on the field and in the dugout,” Allberry-Yerardi added.

Another leader for the past three years is Boston College-bound senior Holly Paharik, a shortstop and one of the team’s four captains along with Charlotte Holden, Ashley Callery and Zoe Adams. The quartet and fellow senior Cami Trendel are veterans of the program and a big reason why Allberry-Yerardi said she has seen a lot of other players “buying in” to the team’s goals.

“They have done an excellent job bringing the younger kids in and making them feel included,” she said. “We have been able to give everyone some opportunities in the field, and it seems to be paying off. We have great depth this year.”

Holden has been a big bat in the lineup and is second on the team in hitting. At the bottom of the lineup, junior Callie Arthur is a strong table setter in addition to her prowess in center field.

While Hopkinton traditionally has been a strong team at the plate and on defense, sophomore Addy Walls has added considerable talent in the pitching circle. Through 15 games, Walls had already amassed more than 100 strikeouts and twirled a pair of no-hitters.

“That’s been a piece that hasn’t always been in place in the past,” Allberry-Yerardi said. “Sometimes we have lacked a bit when it comes to pitching, but Addy has been excellent.”

The Hillers have several goals, including continuing to play well and hopefully end the year atop the TVL. With a more complete roster than in the past, Allberry-Yerardi has visions of a deep state tournament run, though she stressed the team is not going to look too far ahead.

“I think we can make a run in the tournament, and I would be ecstatic if we could go all the way,” she said. “But we are going to take it one game at a time.”