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Duxbury’s Alannah Akins hits homers for charity
Alannah Akins, left, took time to participate in the ASFL Home Run Derby which raises money for cancer research for the Dr. Curry Research Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Courtesy: @alannahakins/Twitter)

Duxbury’s Alannah Akins hits homers for charity

DUXBURY, Mass. (BVM) — Alannah Akins has been waiting for her chance to get back on the softball diamond. After her junior season was canceled because of the pandemic, Akins has been ready for an opportunity to showcase her skills again. For her, that chance came during the A Shot for Life (ASFL) Softball Home Run Derby.

The ASFL puts on an event to raise money for cancer research for the Dr. Curry Research Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. The organization hosted their inaugural home run derby that consists of some of the best players around the area on Sept. 12 and 13. 

The Duxbury senior welcomed an opportunity to get back on the diamond, practicing a few times on the field and in the gym, before the event. When it came time to participate, the experience for Akins would be worthwhile.

“I loved it, I had a great time,” Akins said. “It was fun to meet other softball players from different areas, that normally my town team wouldn’t play. It was nice to make new friends, see everyone, [and] talk to everyone. 

“It was really fun to compete against everybody else, but it was also fun to just watch other girls, especially the girl that won (Destiny McGrath) hit all the home runs that she did. It was so fun to encourage her and cheer everybody else on, as well as have everybody cheer for you while you were hitting.”

For Akins, the event had a little extra meaning to her. The Dragons’ senior has had personal experiences with family members fighting the disease.

“It meant a lot because it hit close to home, so it was really nice to see all the money that was raised,” Akins said. “It just felt nice to participate in something that could eventually help somebody else, so they don’t have to go through the same things I did and my family did.”

Akins was able to reach out around her town of Duxbury, receiving donations from many local businesses. The event experience was great for Akins, who admits the competition aspect was more challenging than she expected.

With the hope of high school competition still a possibility, Akins has continued to stay game-ready. Even though the cancelation of the high school softball season was a major blow, the Dragons’ senior was happy to be able to play in a couple of tournaments this summer for her club team.

“I was really upset when the high school season got canceled because we hadn’t announced captains yet and I had the opportunity to maybe be a junior captain so I was very upset about that,” Akins said. “I was also upset because I just missed playing in high school and being with the team everyday and practicing after school.

“Luckily, my club team was able to start tournaments in mid-July, so that was nice that I got to play. There were some restrictions, but it was worth it to be able to get back out there and play.”

Akins, who also plays hockey at Duxbury High School, has always had a connection with the sport of softball. The idea of playing at the college level has always been a dream for hers.

“I started out when I was very little playing hockey and I was obsessed with hockey and I loved everything about hockey,” Akins said. “I tried other sports, like I tried soccer, I tried lacrosse, I tried basketball, and I couldn’t find a second sport that I really loved until fifth grade. Then I started playing softball. As soon as I touched the softball and started throwing it with my dad I was like ‘Hey, I love this sport, I will play this sport forever.’”

Unfortunately, without a junior season, recruiting has been much more challenging for the Dragons’ catcher.

“Recruiting has been a lot more difficult,” Akins said. “This year it’s been really difficult because you can’t actually make contact with coaches and I want to go to schools that are farther away from Massachusetts, which makes it harder too, because you’re not really able to fly out of state. So, I’ve made a video and I’m emailing and calling coaches.”

With the season still a couple months away, Akins is ready to cap off her career on a high note and will look to obtain her goal of playing college softball.

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