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The Lincoln softball team, once struggling, has turned its season around with a 6-0 start, becoming a favorite in Division II. A standout freshman pitcher has been key to their success.
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LINCOLN – In 2024, the Lincoln softball team was at a crossroads. The Lions didn’t have enough to players to play and, to keep the program alive, needed to co-op with North Providence in order to save the season.
Two years later, Lincoln is on a much different road.
Being one of the youngest teams in the state hasn’t prevented the Lions from being maybe the best story of the 2026 season. With a spectacular freshman in the circle leading the way, Lincoln has gotten off to an incredible start, with a 12-8 win over Barrington bringing its record to 6-0 and turning a plucky underdog into a bona fide favorite in Division II.
“I was not expecting it,” sophomore captain Brooke Tillson said. “I knew we had a good group coming in but for me, personally, from out last record I did not expect this.”
“Softball goes in waves across Rhode Island. Some years you lose players and some years you have a big class coming in,” said Lincoln coach Alyssa McCoart. “This year we have a lot of freshmen that came into the program and have a lot of girls at the middle school as well and hope they continue to be that feeder program to keep us going in the right direction.”
Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
Lincoln became one of the state’s top programs in the 2000s and won back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013, but dropped to Division II later in the 2010s. Participation numbers dropped, COVID didn’t help, and just before the 2024 season started, the Lions found themselves without enough players to have a season.
The co-op with North Providence – a storied program in its own right – was a much-needed Band-Aid and with how it’s healed, Lincoln’s current stay in Division II doesn’t seem like it will last long.
Having a pitcher like Molly Ganim certainly helps. She’s been a known commodity in Lincoln for a while, starring for the Lincoln Middle School team that made the semifinals of last year’s RIIL Middle School State Championship tournament.
Six games into her high school career Ganim has made an impression this season and Thursday added to it.
She didn’t get the start against Barrington, but when McCoart called her name early in the first inning, Ganim was ready to take the ball. Down 2-0 with a runner on third, she gave up a sacrifice fly before putting a stop to the inning.
For the next five innings, Ganim was in control. Lincoln scored seven in the home half of the first and the freshman quieted the once-hot Barrington bats. The Eagles plated runs in the fourth and fifth – both off Lincoln miscues – but Ganim never once looked bothered by anything.
Lincoln softball currently has a record of 6-0 in the 2026 season.
A spectacular freshman pitcher is leading the Lincoln softball team this season.
In 2024, Lincoln softball needed to co-op with North Providence due to a lack of players to keep the program alive.
The success of Lincoln softball this season may help establish a strong feeder program from middle school to sustain future growth.

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Her talent in the circle is easy to spot. Ganim has good size, throws hard and mixes pitches well. While she struggles with command, it’s something that’s fairly common among freshman fireballers.
Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
Aubrey Paxton, Barrington Softball
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
Lincoln Softball
Gianna Brucato, Barrington Softball
Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Aubrey Paxton, Barrington Softball
Aubrey Paxton, Barrington Softball
Gianna Brucato, Barrington Softball
Isabella Gomez, Barrington Softball
Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
Sandy Gorham, Barrington Softball coach
Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
Mykiah Oldham, Lincoln Softball
Lucia Whyte, Lincoln Softball
Lucia Whyte, Lincoln Softball
Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
Lucy Cabral, Barrington Softball
Declan McCoy, Barrington Softball
Zoe Kelsey, Barrington Softball
Grace Fontaine, Barrington Softball
Mykiah Oldham, Lincoln Softball
Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Grace Fontaine, Barrington Softball
Gianna Brucato, Barrington Softball
Zoe Kelsey, Barrington Softball
Grace Fontaine, Barrington Softball
Maya Etheridge, Barrington Softball
Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
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Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
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Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
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Aubrey Paxton, Barrington Softball
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Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
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Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
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Lincoln Softball
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Gianna Brucato, Barrington Softball
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Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
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Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
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Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
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Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
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Aubrey Paxton, Barrington Softball
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Aubrey Paxton, Barrington Softball
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Gianna Brucato, Barrington Softball
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Isabella Gomez, Barrington Softball
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Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
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Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
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Sandy Gorham, Barrington Softball coach
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Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
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Mykiah Oldham, Lincoln Softball
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Lucia Whyte, Lincoln Softball
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Lucia Whyte, Lincoln Softball
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Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
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Lucy Cabral, Barrington Softball
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Declan McCoy, Barrington Softball
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Zoe Kelsey, Barrington Softball
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Grace Fontaine, Barrington Softball
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Mykiah Oldham, Lincoln Softball
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Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
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Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
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Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
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Grace Fontaine, Barrington Softball
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Gianna Brucato, Barrington Softball
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Zoe Kelsey, Barrington Softball
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Grace Fontaine, Barrington Softball
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Maya Etheridge, Barrington Softball
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Molly Ganim, Lincoln Softball
Outside of the circle, Ganim is a bubbly freshman who was more nervous to do a postgame interview than pitch in that first-inning spot. Inside the circle, she transforms into something much different. Her compete level brings gives her an ere of confidence and she plays with the type of fiery emotion you see from the state’s elite aces.
“I was a little nervous, but I was really excited to do good,” said Ganim of the transition to high school softball. “I felt confident in myself that I was able to do well.
“It’s fun. It’s been fun lately.”
“She’s a great kid, she’s very coachable, she works hard and she’s the type of player who wants the ball,” McCoart said. “When I put her in [Thursday], she was ready to go.”
Brooke Tillson, Lincoln Softball
Lincoln came up with seven runs in the bottom of the first, with RBI singles by Payton Bernardino, Sydney Marchand, Tillson and Alicia Valois giving the team a 7-3 lead after the inning.
Ganim showed her poise and maturity in the seventh. Barrington – which is also loaded with impressive young talent – put bat on ball and Grace Fontainehit a line drive over the center field fence to put three runs on the board. Maya Etheridge followed with a double, but Ganim didn’t falter.
She ended the game with two groundouts, a strikeout and a lesson learned.
“I try to just keep doing good each inning and not let those little things mess me up,” said Ganim, who currently sports a 1.50 ERA and 0.93 WHIP, with 44 strikeouts in 28 innings. “Each inning I have to come out strong and just get that first pitch strike and do what I can do and not let it affect me much.”
“She’s pitched great in every game,” Tillson said. “She’s great and she does the job.”
Lucia Whyte, Lincoln Softball
Tillson and the rest of the lineup did theirs. Lincoln could have buried its heads in the ground after Barrington’s first-run first, but the Lions just went to work.
Lincoln’s experienced players showed up. Annika Sampson – one of two seniors in the starting lineup – provided some pop from the No. 9 spot in the order, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Junior outfielder Brielle Lambert drove in a pair and scored once and classmate Bernardino – the DP on Thursday – had one run and one RBI.
The youth atop the order – Tillson and fellow sophomore Valois – set the table all afternoon, going a combined 4-for-9 with three RBI and two runs. Freshman Chloe Landry had a three-hit day, scoring three times.
It was the type of effort the Lions needed on Thursday, but also one that’s been showing up consistently all season.
“We had a few goals, one to keep our energy up,” Tillson said. “We always had a quiet bench, so it’s keeping the energy loud and really improving our skills in general was something we had to work on in the offseason.
“Clearly it’s paid off.”
“[Barrington] was competitive and they tested us,” McCoart said. “It was great to see how we responded.”
Cora Floriani, Barrington Softball
The loss dropped Barrington to 3-3, but will certainly serve as part of its growth. While Lincoln is young, the Eagles make the Lions look like senior citizens with the youth in their lineup.
Catcher Maya Etheridge was the lone senior in a starting lineup that featured five sophomores and three freshmen.
That sophomore class – led by Cora Floriani, Zoe Kelsey and Fontaine – has experience from last season. The freshmen – which included starter Aubrey Paxton – were instrumental for the Barrington Middle School team that made it the to middle school state final last spring.
“It’s been great, but we have a lot to work on with a young team,” Etheridge said. “We have a lot of experience because a lot of them play travel and outside stuff. We just have to communicate more and build as a team.”
It was the second straight loss for Barrington, which will try to get back on track when it hosts defending Division III champions Tiverton on Saturday. Consistency is key, but having a positive mentality is also a plus.
“They all know how it goes – we all have bad days,” Etheridge said. “It’s just about getting our heads up for the next game and moving on.
“We will get there. I believe in everyone.”
Mykiah Oldham, Lincoln Softball
How Lincoln response to its fast start will be crucial for its goals this season.
The Lions will be off until April 22 when it hosts North Providence. It isn’t scheduled to play a team with a winning record until May 6, when it travels to play Division I North Kingstown.
But the schedule changes drastically toward the end of the season, where Lincoln will go through a wringer with a rematch vs. Barrington before playing expected D-II title contenders Ponaganset, Johnston and Portsmouth in the two weeks leading into the postseason.
Lincoln has a lot of work to do between now and then but playing in big games has always been a part of this season’s plan.
“Since the beginning we’ve had the mentality about ‘The Road to RIC,’” said McCoart, referencing the host of the Division II championships. “We’re reminding the girls that this is a special group.
“We have a lot of potential and a bright season ahead of us. Let’s make that our goal – the road to RIC.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Score from Barrington at Lincoln softball on Thursday April 16, 2026