Sub Overview

With the retirement of Alaina Coletti from VBC Softball, it is only appropriate to take a look at the Unicorns' success with minor league call-ups* to determine who might best aid the Unicorns as a replacement in the fall season.  Here are the nine subs listed on the spring season's roster:
*Editor's note: minor league meaning Duffer minor league, meaning E class, meaning anyone that does not play softball--essentially, everyone is eligible for a call-up

1. Sarah Redfield - Redfield regularly attends Unicorns games and is considered part of the team's 14-man roster that is comprised of the team's primary players.  However, she is also a member of the Blue Bombers, a C-league team that plays on Friday nights, so they only use her when they need to.  Otherwise, she supportively cheers and keeps score.  Redfield is batting .364/.417/.364 this season, having 11 at-bats in 5 games.  She has played softball since high school, which gives her a very sturdy sense of fielding and provides the team with a reliable defensive sub, especially at 2B and in RC and LC.

2. Jen Doo - Though never having played a game yet with VBC Softball, Doo is considered sub-eligible and was on the roster before the Unicorns started needing subs.  Currently she resides in Northern Virginia, making it near impossible to get to any games since they are on Monday nights.  However, Doo proudly sports a Unicorns jersey and is considered ready-to-play-if-necessary by Coach Weaver if she is around during a game.  During throwing practice sessions, Doo has proven herself to have a strong arm and good accuracy, yet her being a novice shows in errors, as occasionally the ball pops out of her glove and lands hard on her legs. The good news is that she has been consistent in continuing to throw despite visible bruises on the hit spots.

3. Christine Foust - Originally interested in joining the team as a starter, Foust was hesitant to due to her work with the Virginia Arts Festival and with Virginia Beach's Symphonicity (fans may remember Megan DiPaolo of The Legion of Fistpumping Turtles--she held the same position at VAF but felt confident joining the team for the season).  Foust only has two at-bats with VBC Softball, and while she has collected two strikeouts, her batting practice record of making frequent contact with the ball shows her potential as, in the least, a useful sub.

4. Rachel Matteo - Matteo is the probably the most popular choice for serving as a replacement for Coletti.  She made her first appearance with the Unicorns when they were but a Virginia Beach wiffleball team and joined the softball team when Romeo Villaneuva asked her to sub for Lanah Stafford against Boneshakers Bar and Grill and the Stunners.  Matteo went 1 for 4 overall, batting in the only run in the first game and earning a walk in the second.  The Unicorns were impressed with her performance and noted that she is able to make good contact with the ball--so much so that it lands in the pocket over the infielders' heads, reminiscent of Rianna Schweitzer's batting.

5. Vignette Kaltsas - Speaking of Schweitzer, she has a history of scouting probable subs--Kaltsas is the only one actually to have played yet this season.  Yet, when Schweitzer also tried to recruit her for the games on 6/20, she was unavailable.  Though Kaltsas went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts against the Wine O's, she joined the Unicorns after the game at Finn McCool's, showing goodwill with the team.

6. Margaret Gardner - Gardner was one of two subs scouted by Matt Portner for the 6/20 games.  She was the first of the two to take the field, and she was eager to do so despite her admitted lack of knowledge on how to play her position of RF.  In the end she went 0 for 3 with a walk.  Rumors have it that Gardner has expressed interest in playing with the Unicorns again.

7. Melody Moreno - The second of Portner's subs, Moreno had a lack of fielding knowledge and a batting performance similar to that of Gardner.  Though she was a little shier, she had a similar spirit.  Rumors do not have it that Moreno has expressed interest in playing with the Unicorns again.

8. Mel Di Domenico - Greg Weaver called up Mel last minute and she was able to make it to the 6/20 games.  She effectively played catcher for Schweitzer and circled the bases once for a run due to the patience of Nicholas Wasilewski and Bobby Weaver.  "Adamantly" is the word that the rumors use to describe Mel's interest in joining the Unicorns' starters.

9. Nathan Anderson - One would just need to read the "Subs Galore" post to see how effective Anderson's pinch hitting, base running, and fielding was against That's What She Said.  Clearly, Anderson cannot replace Coletti in the starting roster, but he is being taken into consideration by the skipper.  The problem with adding Anderson is twofold: one, Anderson would add another male to the roster, which means that two males would be benched and one would DH each game as long as there are enough females present to allow for a DH; and two, VBC Softball veteran slugger Larry Strait is expected to return in the fall.  To further complicate things, Mel and Nathan are practically a Melthan--a two-for-one kind of deal.  Anderson would, however, be a great sub in all areas, and Coach Weaver plans on at least offering him a spot on the roster in case more injuries are abound in the fall.