University of Massachusets Athletics
Softball's Hurd Had A Ball This Summer
October 03, 2005 | Softball
Oct. 3, 2005
It started as just as a simple item on a long list of things. In 2004, two friends, Jessica Chrabaszcaz and UMass Outfielder Sarah Hurd, complied a laundry list of things they had always wanted to do but never had the chance. On that list was to spend one summer night as a ball girl for a professional baseball game. On a whim, the two friends sent a letter to the Pawtucket Red Sox telling of their dream of becoming a foul ball attendant.
Months passed and Hurd and Chrabaszcaz were playing for the Pawtucket RBI All-Star Softball team sponsored by the Pawtucket Red Sox. The RBI Northeast Regional Tournament took place in Pawtucket that summer and the Paw Sox hosted a banquet for all the teams participating. In attendance was Paw Sox president, and UMass Alumna, Mike Tamburro ('75). Hurd's letter had made its way to Tamburro, who approached the girls with a deal.
"We introduced ourselves to Mr. Tamburro at the banquet," Hurd said. "We talked for a little while and he told us that if we won the tournament, we could go on the field for a game. "
The girls took care of business during the tournament and earned their stools in foul territory. Dressed in full uniform, the girls became an instant hit with fans. Several Paw Sox players struck up a conversation with the girls their first night on the job.
"It was better than we ever dreamed. The first night we were there people were like 'Who are these girls?' All the players came up and asked who we were and we explained why were there. The players were really receptive. They took the time to talk to us and even play some catch in the outfield. The fans were great too. Some even asked for our autographs."
The ball girls were a big hit and were invited back several more times to end the season. In April of 2005, Paw Sox Assistant GM Daryl Jasper another UMass graduate ('93), contacted Hurd about returning this summer but in an expanded role as an intern.
"As an intern this year, we received more responsibilities. We ushered some nights and other nights we were in charge of the distributing of promotions. We still worked on the field most nights, but it was good interacting with fans on a different level and getting to know them personally"
Hurd spent most of her nights on the field. If you got there for pre-game stretches, you would find her talking and joking with Paw Sox players, usually Justin Sherrod or George Lombard. If she wasn't chatting with players she was signing autographs for young fans who would toss balls, hats, shirts and even the occasional bat down to put her signature on.
Despite being a local celebrity of sorts, there was one drawback. Unlike her Boston counterpart, the much-publicized Kelly Barons, Sarah couldn't flip foul balls into the stands. Instead, she had to return them in-between innings to the dugout for the following day's batting practice. That didn't stop fans from asking, begging, pleading or even offering the occasional bribe for the contents of her glove.
When Hurd wasn't scooping up grounders at McCoy she was traveling around New England working on her softball skills, Two to three nights a week Hurd was playing against current and former collegiate softball players to get ready for the 2006 UMass Softball season.
"Aside from the games, I spent a large portion of the summer doing drills and working out the kinks in my game. I got on a running and lifting schedule as well. It was a busy summer," Hurd said.
Hurd is looking to improve upon her freshman season where she appeared in 44 games, starting 28. Used primarily as an infielder as a freshman, Hurd will be shifted to the outfield for the 2006, a challenge which she welcomes and UMass Softball Head Coach Elaine Sortino is upbeat about.
"I think the biggest thing she will bring to us is the quickness of her first step. Outfielders have to cover a lot of ground, so the more they can cover the better off they are," Sortino said. "That combined with a stronger arm will put her in a good position to make an impact in this year's lineup."
Interestingly enough, 2006 will mark just the fourth year in fast pitch softball for the sophomore. Hurd grew up playing baseball, even making the freshman baseball team at Warwick High School in Rhode Island. As a sophomore, she switched over to slow pitch softball and then North Kingston made the jump to fast pitch softball.
"She had a lot to learn, but she's athletic, smart, and very determined," Sortino commented. "With those kinds of qualities and her ability to pick up concepts quick, the adjustment has gone well. She's done in one year what it would take most kids four to five years in terms of picking up things and achieving."
Without a doubt, it was a summer to remember for Sarah Hurd. She looks forward to returning back to Paw Sox for the summer, but hopefully not before a long run in the NCAA tournament. If your travels take you to McCoy Stadium next summer be sure to lean over the rail, and say hello, but for her sake, don't ask for a ball.