Dalton adjusts to playing catcher again

NORMAN — Alissa Dalton figures it’s been more than a year since she regularly crouched behind the plate during softball games, last working as a catcher during the summer of her senior year in high school.

But she worked back into the position a week ago when she slipped on the gear to relieve junior Hannah Sparks during the Iowa State series.

Dalton is listed as a utility player on OU’s roster, and with starting catcher Lea Wodach sidelined due to a knuckle injury sustained before last weekend’s Big 12 series, Dalton is stretching the limits of the designation.

“She’s just a natural athlete,” Sooners softball coach Patty Gasso said following OU’s 4-2 win against Arkansas on Wednesday. “A natural athlete can step in and play about any position, and catching is about one of the hardest things to do in this sport.

“I threw her back there, and I knew she had a little experience, but you would never know that if you’re watching her.”

When the coaching staff broke the news to Dalton that she’d be moving from the outfield to catcher, she didn’t take it seriously. She’d been playing outfield nearly all season and hadn’t even taken the field in 16 games.

“Honestly, at first I thought she was joking,” Dalton said. “And then once I saw Coach Lombardi’s face, I was like, ‘OK, she’s serious.’ It’s just about working hard and focusing on the little things and getting my mechanics right to help everybody out.”

With Wodach out, the Sooners had to quickly adjust to having new faces behind the plate. Dalton was a little shaky in her first weekend as she relieved junior college transfer Sparks in Friday’s win against Iowa State, but that’s to be expected.

“You’re talking about Hannah, who is new to our program, although she’s a JC transfer, she’s still learning,” Gasso said. “And you’re talking about someone who caught in high school, which is quite different than catching a 73 mile an hour curveball.

“They’re a little bit raw in the things that they’re doing, but they’re working their tails off for this team, and that’s the payoff.”

Dalton came in again in the third game of the Iowa State series as a catcher, and she earned her first start in the position for the Arkansas game. Not only did she have a solid game defensively, but she also drove in two runs.

With Wodach likely out for this weekend’s series at Texas, there’s a good chance that Dalton will be called on again to fill her shoes.

“She’s done a really, really, really great job,” Gasso said. “What that also adds to our offense, having a hitter like that in the seven spot changes everything.”