Tag Archive for: softball

THE MOONEY FIREWORK

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- Katy Perry the singer has a song called Firework that’s all about finding your inner spark, and lighting up the world. Mooney softball senior Caitie Perry’s hitting can be described as a spark. A spark for the rest of her team to keep on working hard.

For three years Perry has not only shined on the softball field, but also the volleyball and basketball court. The three sport athlete is always on the move and says she never feels overwhelmed or over scheduled. She is always in a state of motion.

COVID-19 as brought the sports world to a standstill, including the 2020 softball season. Perry will never get to suit up in her Mooney uniform again. But the memories shared with her teammates won’t go away. The memories with her coaches, and supporters will stick with her forever. Yet, that still leaves something to be desired. Perry was poised to have a tremendous senior season. Mooney returned 6 seniors on the roster this year, making them one of the more experienced teams in the area. Caitie had plenty of experience getting on base, as she was dubbed the “On Base Machine” by YSN’s Nate Keiper. Every time she stepped to the plate, Cardinal faithful was ready for the fireworks.

Anthony Hartwig got a chance to talk to Caitie through video chat. They discuss being part of a large senior class, Mooney softball off the field, and much more. Get a better glimpse into Mooney Softball with the latest Player Profile “The Mooney Firework”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMnBLLQ4ym0[/embedyt]

MIGHTY MAKOSKY

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COLUMBIANA OH- Columbiana Softball has dealt with different coaches in the program through the last three years, but one thing that has been a constant is Marissa Makosky in the circle. The senior has been a staple in the Clippers program over the last three years. Columbiana was looking forward to having her dominate opposing hitters for one more season. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season has fronded to a stop. Marissa has taken a unique perspective to this situation as she uses it to strengthen her passion to pursue a job in the nursing field. Marissa sees the medical professionals putting their lives on the line and is inspired to follow in their footsteps. She will be in one of the better nursing programs of the area at Youngstown State.

On the softball field, Marissa has quickly become a strong leader. She leads by example. She describes herself as more of a quiet person, but don’t think that takes anything away from her leadership qualities. She is someone the youth of the program can look to for an example of how to do things the right way.

Anthony Hartwig got to talk to Marissa via video chat. They discuss her new head coach Madison Kurtz, her future goals, and much more. Get an inside look at Clipper softball with our latest Player Profile “Mighty Makosky”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IxO5EZQMpg[/embedyt]

FIELD GENERAL JENNA

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AUSTINTOWN OH- It’s true, Fitch softball is loaded with impressive talent on their roster, but what is all that talent with no one to lead them? They need a general on the field to see all the angles. The Falcons turn to senior Jenna Chmelik. Chmelik has been catching since she was nine and does a wonderful job at working with the Falcon pitching staff. The Falcons were coming off a season that produced their first AAC title in nineteen seasons. Everyone was ready to defend their title. COVID-19 had different plans, and the virus has ended the spring sports season.

Jenna is a very vocal catcher, so it’s no surprise she’s also on a speech and debate team that has qualified for state the last two years. She says that has done wonders in improving her ability to lead on the field.

Anthony Hartwig got the chance to chat with Jenna via video conference. They discussed the talent on the roster, her love for catching, and much more. If you miss softball as much as we do you’ll enjoy this look at Falcon softball. The latest Player Profile “Field General Jenna”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPyviqG7jCw[/embedyt]

 

GIRARD RUNS ON DURKIN

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GIRARD OH- The Girard Softball team has been steadily on the rise over the years. For the first time in a while, the Indians were prepared to field a JV team along with a varsity. Senior Sidney Durkin has a lot to do with the program’s growth. She’s set the running pace for Girard softball. She was all set for senior year until COVID-19 put an end to the 2020 season.

Girard was going to field a fairly young team this season. But with that youth cane plenty of talent. They were poised to make some noise in the NE8. Sidney’s job was to rope in the younger girls, and show them the standards and expectation of Indians softball. Those standards have been inside Sidney for quite some time, as she gets coached by her own father. She says softball has done nothing but strengthen their relationship on and off the field.

Sidney is looking to go into the Criminal Justice field in the future. She says this passion for the pathway actually came from bonding with her mother over cop shows at an early age. She has consistently taken civics classes to get a grasp on the inner workings of the American legal system.

Anthony Hartwig had the opportunity to talk with Sidney via video conference. They discuss being a senior on a young team, getting coached by her dad, and much more. Don’t miss your chance to learn about this Girard softball senior in the latest Player Profile “Girard Runs On Durkin.”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx7VcycF_VI[/embedyt]

HOWELL SWEET IT IS

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WARREN OH- When you’re talking about the Champion softball program, the first thing that comes to you mind is the one two punch the Flashes have in the circle. One of those punches comes from senior Sophie Howell. On her own, Sophie is one of the best pitchers in the area, paired with fellow senior Allison Smith, she becomes the most lethal pitcher you’ll find in the area. What makes Howell so electric is her ability to throw a riseball at all three levels with pin point accuracy. With someone like Smith backing her up, there is no pressure for her to be great every time out.

Howell has a career ERA of 1.05. And her strikeout total is at 386. Those numbers have helped her and her program win three consecutive state championships, and if it weren’t for COVID-19 putting an end to the 2020 season they’d be favorites to win a fourth. Sophie was part of a pitching staff that gave up no runs in the tournament last season. She says that success comes from the looseness of the team. They dominate people, and have fun doing it. Howell is still out staying in shape as she prepares to move on to play softball at Youngstown State next season.

Anthony Hartwig got a chance to talk to Sophie through video conference. They discussed the success of Champion softball, her favorite off field memories, and much more. Go deeper into Champion softball with the first Golden Flashes Player Profile “Howell Sweet It Is”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfWD_j4z9HU[/embedyt]

THE EMERGENCE OF EMMA

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- Ursuline softball senior Emma Ericson has slowly been developing her leadership skills. Entering her senior season Emma was ready to lead her Irish to another impressive season. Coming off a year where the Irish came so close to a district championship, everyone was hungry to get back to work.

Emma has seen her confidence grow on the field over the years. She remember a specific game her sophomore year while in the circle coach Kernan came out to talk to her. She told him she needed to stay in and finish the game, she knew she could. That’s exactly what she did. She says that is the moment when her confidence started to grow as a player. She planned to work harder than anyone this season, and lead her team by example. Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic has ended the 2020 season. This setback hasn’t stopped Ericson from looking to the future. She plans to attend Youngstown State after graduating from Ursuline. With new found confidence from the softball diamond, she is sure to fantastic things.

Anthony Hartwig got a chance to talk to Emma through video chat. They discussed her reaction to the season’s fate, the team’s community outreach, and much more. Get great insight into Ursuline softball with the latest Player Profile “The Emergence Of Emma”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldDWG_mylm8[/embedyt]

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- Mooney Senior CJ Sapp already has to come with grips of not playing softball in her senior season before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. CJ tore her ACL in a basketball game against Boardman in December. What she didn’t come to grips with however, is losing the ability to help her teammates reach their goals in her favorite sport, softball.

From a young age CJ fell in love with the game of softball. The community, and team mentality of the sport made her keep coming back. Her dad coached her in her youth and her abilities grew. Sapp slowly but surely became a excellent athlete. Now with the COVID-19 virus, she has been stripped of her last experiences with her teammates. She won’t be able to see them shine, or accomplish their goals.

CJ also excels in other sports. In volleyball Sapp defends the back row as the Cardinals libero, and statistically one of the best liberos in the area. She earned first team all YSN honors in volleyball. Moving on to basketball she is a great leader on the court, and the team missed her in their last couple months of the season. However, they got to show their appreciation by having CJ do the jumpball to start the game on Senior Night. Which ironically enough was against Boardman. She wouldn’t have played softball this year at the Field of Dreams, but she would have been there for every up and down her team went through, just for the love of the game.

Anthony Hartwig got a chance to talk to CJ through video chat. They discuss her recovery, her love of softball, and much more. Get to know the great Mooney senior in the latest softball player profile “For the Love of The Game.”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbelDhHkW6E[/embedyt]

ITS ALL ADDING UP FOR ADLER

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HUBBARD OH- One is the best measurements of a leader is how their program looks when they leave. When you’re talking about Hubbard, every program that Jackie Adler has led is looking promising. Golf found success in Districts, the basketball team found some stability, and the softball team coming off a 14 win season looked to be a dark horse in the NE8. Softball season may have been taken away by COVID-19, but Jackie is confident that the team is set up for future success.

In softball last season, Adler was a consistent threat in the Eagles lineup. She hit .397 at the plate. But her biggest strength was her defense. Not only was she a fantastic leader in the middle of the infield, but she only committed 2 errors all season. Adler wasn’t satisfied though, as she set the goal this year to not commit any errors in the field, and she wanted to push that batting average up above .400. Adler is always looking to make herself better, which is one of the things that makes her a leader.

Jackie has commuted to Otterbein University to golf at the next level. She thrives on the ability to compete not just with the rest of the field, but herself. Always trying to one up her best score. Golf is one of the most lucrative sports a girl can go to college for, and Adler is finding success on the green. Her future plans are all adding up, while her golf stroke keeps going down.

Anthony Hartwig has the chance to catch up with Jackie. They talked about being a three sport athlete, golf recruiting, and much more. Don’t miss out on the latest Eagle Softball Player Profile “It’s All Adding Up For Adler.”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh6nxe_5JvQ[/embedyt]

MICKEY BRINGS THE MAGIC

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AUSTINTOWN OH- Austintown Fitch softball is coming off their first AAC title in quite a while. The Falcon roster is loaded with talent, and leadership. A player who contains both of those attributes is Senior Ashley Mickey. Mickey has a fantastic junior season helping her team to one of the best seasons the program has had.

In 2019 Mickey hit at a clip of .340 with an on base percentage of .365. As a 2nd basemen, Mickey only made one error all season. That contributed to a solid team fielding percentage of .980. Coach Ward says that while Mickey might be quiet overall, she always manages to come in with a perfectly timed joke to loosen up a room. He also raved about her ability to move positions to help her team. She was a shortstop her sophomore year and moved over to 2nd to fill a larger team need in her junior campaign.

Anthony Hartwig got a chance to talk to Ashley through video chat. They discuss her reaction to the fate of the 2020 season, her favorite memories with the team, and much more. Get a look inside the Falcon’s Nest with the latest softball player profile “Mickey Brings The Magic”.

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu2bcM335Qg[/embedyt]

AMAZING GRACE

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WARREN OH- Champion softball has been nothing but dominant over the last three seasons. The senior class of 2020 has a lot to do with the Golden Flashes success. Abbi Grace is one of those seniors looking for her fourth straight state championship. Unfortunately COVID-19 has put a stop to the 2020 season. The seniors of Champion won’t be able to compete for their four peat, but they’re still doing all they can to see the program win again in 2021.

Abbi Grace puts a lot of importance on helping the young players in the Champion program grow. From meeting the young kids after winning a state championship and signing softballs for them, to giving words of encouragement to the underclassmen. Grace continues to find ways with her fellow seniors to propel the program forward.

As far as her playing career, Abbi has been quite impressive. In 95 games played in the purple and gold, Grace has accumulated a .399 batting average. Her strength was in the field. As a catcher, she has a career fielding percentage of .933, and only committed 5 errors in her entire career. Grace was also never caught stealing in her career, with a perfect 18/18 mark.

Anthony Hartwig had the opportunity to catch up with Abbi via video chat. They discussed her team off the field, building the program’s future, and much more. Learn about another fantastic Golden Flashes senior in the latest Player Profile “Amazing Grace.”

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 [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OskLGipZCw8[/embedyt]