By Michael Letendre
With collegiate sports finally in full swing, that means former Bristol Eastern softball standout Taylor Keegan is getting a chance to take the field for the program at Western New England University.
And while Keegan hasn’t played in every game, she’s made a positive impact over 14 of the squad’s 22 contests this year.
When Keegan takes the field, something good always seems to happen for the Golden Bears.
In her first season of collegiate play, Keegan is posting a slick .308 batting average that includes a .357 on-base and .423 slugging percentage.
The infielder has made 26 plate appearances of Sunday, slamming out eight hits that includes one double and a triple.
Keegan added two walks, two stolen bases and seven runs scored.
She’s hitting just above the team batting average (.306) and has two multi-hit games.
In the Golden Bears 6-5 victory over Salve Regina on April 7, Keegan went 2-of-5 from the plate that included two RBI and a run scored.
And then in a showdown at Nichols College on April 21, the freshman had a tremendous game – going 3-of-4 overall – scooping up a double and triple while notching an RBI.
Keegan also stole a base to complete another very good effort from the former Bristol Eastern star.
She’s a Health Sciences major at Western New England and one of the many athletes for the program who played scholastically in Connecticut.
In her bio on ncsasports.org, Keegan said she had an interest in science and WNEU will help her pursue a career in that field.
And while she’s hitting the books and going to class, Keegan is also hitting the ball for a very successful team amid a Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship bid.
As of Sunday, the program from Springfield, Massachusetts has won six straight games – seizing a 16-6 ledger overall.
The team has played 12 games from Springfield – going 11-1 from Golden Bear Softball Park.
Keegan graduated from Eastern in 2020 and was a CCC South All-Conference pick in 2018 and 2019 – playing softball for head coach Scott Redman.
She had the athletic ability to play anywhere on the field including second base and centerfield.
For the Lancers, Keegan was one of the featured players in the Mum City with a knack of generating the big hit.
And she always brought defensive intensity to every game.
As a junior, Keegan ramped up a huge campaign at Eastern and ended up being selected for the Jr. Select Game after a stellar regular season.
For the 2019 scholastic campaign, Keegan roped up a tremendous .425 batting average as she slugged the ball at a blistering .525 clip.
Over 80 at-bats, Keegan zipped out 34 hits – eight of those going for extra bases.
Keegan only struck out five times, scored a team-high 27 runs while collecting eight walks and nine RBI.
She blasted out eight doubles and stole four bases while helping the Lancers to a sterling 17-6 record.
