Sports in RI: Meet “Hammer & Nails,” the Boudreau Sisters Love Johnston, Moving On Together – John Cardullo

by John Cardullo, sportswriter

Johnston’s High School’s dynamic duo “Hammer and Nails”, Bella and Haley Bourdreau, have raised the bar for themselves and for every team that they have played on along their softball journey, but it’s time to break up the band – for now…

Ever since they learned how to swing a bat or catch and throw a ball, the Boudreau sisters took to the game of softball so naturally that it was as if they were born to be on the field. The song goes that diamonds are a girl’s best friend and for both Haley and Isabella, who are one year apart in age and in grade level from each other, they couldn’t agree more – but it’s the softball diamond they are thinking of.

When older sister Haley began playing at 6 years old, Bella wanted to play as well at 5 years old. Both sisters began their career playing on the “house” recreation team. Before long travel and elite softball clubs began to inquire to the family if both the girls would be interested in playing at another level. The coaches were interested in both players and although they were not a package deal, Haley and Bella stuck together as they began climbing up the competitive ladder.

For today’s competitive players to compete at the top level, it takes a lot of commitment, desire, dedication and sacrifice, not just on the players’ part but on the entire family’s part. Haley and Bella’s parents were as dedicated as most parents of young athletes, they would drive them to indoor, off-season workouts in the dead of winter. Or from one field to another for any league game or tournament the girls happen to be playing in that day or weekend.

Their father, Justin, coaches teams that they played in early in their young careers. He knew enough that there was a fine line between coaching and parenting, so as they grew older, he backed away a little bit. But whatever side of the fence he stood on, the girls knew that he was their biggest fan. When Haley went on to play for Ferri Middle School, she played for the first time without her sister. To make matters even a bit stranger for Haley, was the fact that she lost out on her first season at Ferri because of Covid. Nonetheless she had started to develop into a dominant pitcher, but because of that one-year delay, her favorite catcher had rejoined her at Ferri. When Haley went on to Johnston High School her catcher had always been Isabella, so how the girls would react to being apart for the first time that they could remember, would be a different experience for both.

Throughout her career playing for the Johnston High School Panthers, Haley’s career soared each year. Her batting average was .442 with a career RBI total of 27, as she often batted first in the batting order. She racked up 114 hits and stole 51 bases. If that wasn’t impressive enough as a pitcher, her ERA was 1.37, she became the all-time leader in strike outs with 955, surpassing 946 by Saint Rapheal’s Kayleigh Lotti. Opponents batted .154 against her. In her senior year she struck out 314 batters (one short of tying the state’s single season record of 315 that was set by Haley Venturini of Scituate in 2022). As Haley was being named to All Division teams and onto All State teams, it was Bella who became the Panthers catcher as a freshman.

As their varsity career began, it was hard to imagine one without the other. Their collective love of softball was unmatched, but they had distinctive approaches to the game. Haley’s domination on the mound was evident by the way she threw. Mixing speeds and locations. But it was Bella who caught one of the state’s if not the state’s best pitchers with ease. If Haley didn’t throw a pitch the way Bella called for it, Bella would show her sister her dissatisfaction and she would throw it back to her, message sent. In Bella’s freshman season she and her sister were nicknamed “Hammer & Nails”. Haley throwing pitch after pitch that ended up pounding in Bella’s glove as the batter either swung and missed or heard it go by as the umpire shouted, “strike three!” Bella was called “Nails” because being the catcher she would often take the brunt of collisions with runners at the plate. Holding her ground, making the tag, recording them out and getting up and throwing the ball back to the mound or having the wherewithal to know runners could advance and shut them down.

It was because her sister was one of the best pitchers in the state that Bella was often in the background, although she wasn’t seeking the limelight or the headlines, and it was apparent to anyone who knew softball to see that Bella was a star player in her own right. Her three years on the varsity level, she batted in the third spot of the batting order. Her batting average is .389, she has a total of 57 runs batted in, 22 of her hits have been doubles and in all those three seasons, she had struck out only 7 times!

Being a catcher at any level is tough for any player, you play half the game wearing a mask and helmet, a chest protector and shin guards. The position often calls you to be the last defense of “pass balls” or blocking pitches that are coming in fast that may fall short of the plate, and that they need to block so they won’t go to the backstop. Calling out defensive plays to the other teammates in the field and keeping an eye on the runners who may have gotten on base in case they try to steal a base. Oh yeah, they must do this while a pitch is coming in, with a batter at the plate swinging at a pitch. Then there is the added fun of the batter bunting the ball to advance a runner. Her fielding percentage is .995, has committed 4 errors and has thrown out a total of 15 runners trying to steal bases on her. Bella didn’t live in her sister’s shadow, she emerged as one, if not the best catchers in the state. She has been named to all division teams as well.

Bella wears her bumps and bruises as badges of honor. Wearing her uniform sleeves rolled up to her shoulders, ready to spring out of her catching squat to dive behind the plate to catch a pop fly foul ball near the backstop or retrieving a bunt on the third base side of the plate to often throw out the runner at first. Even more impressive is when she throws out a runner attempting to steal second base, from a kneeling position. As her senior year comes around, Bella, who plays basketball, but not currently for the school team, may give hoops a shot as well has taking the mound to pitch.

It has often been asked of the family, why would the Boudreau sisters stay at Johnston to play their high school careers, when larger and “more prominent” schools would love to have them play in their program? Bella states that, “we love Johnston! We grew up playing here, learning the game of softball on Johnston fields and played on teams with our friends. We are still playing on teams with our friends.” She goes on to say, “I am hoping by staying and playing at Johnston, it will encourage more younger girls to do the same.”

Although Haley will be taking her talents to Assumption on a scholarship, and “Hammer and Nails” will once again be apart, it won’t last more than a single season, because it just has been announced this week that Bella will be joining her sister at Assumption starting the 2028 season. The two hometown girls that made Johnston proud will be back together again – now at the college level!

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John Cardullo, sportswriter. John is a lifelong Rhode Islander. His sports experience is extensive, as a player, coach and sponsor of youth and high school sports. He has been the Public Address Announcer for the CCRI Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams. Both the Cranston East and Cranston West football, Cranston East Boys and Girls basketball for 12 years before moving onto the Central, Juanita Sanchez and Mt. Pleasant football teams. Also, Central HS Boys and Girls Basketball, Scituate High School Boys and Girls Basketball, Johnston High School Girls Basketball, Boys Volleyball, Girls Softball, Boys and Girls Soccer teams, and CLCF football.

John has been involved in Men’s softball for 61 years, starting as a batboy for his father’s team in 1964. He moved to the teams scorekeeper then became a player in 1975, and created the men’s team, Players Corner Pub, that went on to win 20 State Championships in their 35 year history. In the 1990’s he published the statewide softball magazine “The Fielders Choice”which was dedicated to all topics related to adult softball. As a feature writer, John and the publication won several media awards. In 2019 he was elected and inducted into the Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame which he also helped create. John is a softball umpire in Warwick, Rhode Island.

In his spare time John golfs with his life long friends in season. After retiring from the printing Industry after a 45-year career, he now writes specialty sports columns for RINewsToday.com, and is still actively engaged in the high school sports scene and athletic administration.