For the first time since switching to fast-pitch in 2005, the Cranston East softball team finished above .500 last year. It was the first time in the program’s young history that the Thunderbolts made the playoffs, too. And this year the majority of that team is back to help East reach the postseason again.

With senior Dara Patton and sophomore Ashley McCauley leading the way, the ’Bolts are returning the front end of their pitching staff. Seven of their nine starters have extensive varsity experience and, while they have a couple of holes to fill, they have the weapons to fill them. Throw in the experience that came with playing for a winning club last season and East should be counted among the top teams in Division II North this season.

“This is a team that made the playoffs last year for the first time at Cranston East,” East coach Mike Rachiele said. “There is a veteran presence, they have experience winning and now they are looking for more. They’ve had that taste of what it is like to be in the playoffs and they want to get back there.”

There will be a lot of familiar faces around the diamond for the ’Bolts this spring. Junior Helen Smith saw time at first base and in the outfield last year but won the starting first base job outright this season and three-year starter Lindsay Speicher is back at second. Sophomore Jesse Handler, who started as a freshman, will be back at shortstop and junior Paige Clarkin will get the nod at third.

Senior Lindsay St. Jean has made the move from left to center, where she will anchor East’s outfield, flanked on the left by senior Ashley Cooney and on the right by first-year senior Alyssa Goding.

“I really like the senior leadership on this year’s team,” Rachiele said. “They saw what happened here in the past and they are determined not to let it happen again. They are determined to be successful and that starts with our captains Dara Patton, Lindsay St. Jean and Lindsay Speicher. They’ve been here for four years, they know what to expect and they know how to keep all of the other girls focused on our goal.”

Patton will lead the pitching staff, which will feature McAuley in the No. 2 spot and sophomore Kaleigh Greene at No. 3. Patton and McAuley give East a pair of proven, tested starters while Greene is looking to break through after seeing a limited workload last season.

“Our pitching staff is solid,” Rachiele said. “We are pretty well set there. It is dominated by some veterans and, in fast-pitch, pitching is so important. Their experience should carry us a long way.”

Hopefully that experience will carry over behind the plate as well. The ’Bolts lost catcher Jamie Silvia to graduation last year and is counting on a pair of freshmen to get the job done this spring. Freshmen Haylee Patton and Cheyenne Rosi are both competing for the job and both have made strong cases for themselves this spring. Rachiele still hasn’t settled on a starter and noted that both could continue to split time behind the plate once the regular season begins.

“Our biggest area of concern is catching,” Rachiele said. “We had a senior catcher last year and we have to fill that void. It is going to come down to the wire as to who is going to be starting, but it also depends on what pitchers I put out there. They may just alternate depending on that.”

East’s batting order is more stable. Goding is penciled in to lead off with Handler batting second and Rosi, when she’s catching, in the No. 3 spot. St. Jean will bat cleanup, followed by Clarkin, Cooney, Smith, McCauley and Speicher. The team will benefit from a solid lineup from top to bottom that features consistent hitters and a lot of speed on the bases.

The ’Bolts opened the regular season on Wednesday against West Warwick and will take on Burrillville in their home opener on Friday. East will stay at home to host Ponaganset on Monday. Both games are set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

“We have a solid team and, as every year, our intention is to make the playoffs and go beyond that,” Rachiele said. “They did it last year and they know what it takes. This year, I think we have the manpower and experience to do it again.”