BELIEVE TO ACHIEVE
Boston College recruit Dunning pitches Marist to Class 4A state title with performance for the ages
Marist senior Abby Dunning has certainly known her share of drama lately.
On June 17, she pitched the final two innings of the Class 4A state championship game against Lincoln-Way Central while suffering from dehydration, cramps, and very possibly heat exhaustion.
Sunday night, she and her family huddled in the basement as a destructive tornado threatened their home in Burr Ridge.
“We were very lucky,” Dunning said. “In the morning, we found branches and some furniture had fallen over in the backyard. But two blocks over, it looked like there had literally been a war.
“The trees had fallen on the streets, trampolines were on the streets, fences ... it was really scary.”
Monday afternoon, the 2021 Daily Southtown Softball Player of the Year was back in a more tranquil environment. She was one of the instructors at a Marist summer camp for eighth graders.
“All of the girls were super sweet,” Dunning said. “I was trying to give them a little bit of advice that helped me. I was talking to one of the pitchers out there and told her how it’s so important to be confident. You have to believe in yourself.”
Dunning believed in herself — and her teammates — all the way to a state title.
“It feels like I’m on cloud nine,” Dunning said. “This Marist program is one of the best experiences of my life. Winning with this team was unreal. I don’t want it to end. I’d play with these girls forever.”
Dunning will head to Boston College with a boatload of honors. Among them are being selected the Gatorade Illinois Softball Player of the Year and East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year.
During a senior season to remember, Dunning had a 28-1 record with 338 strikeouts in 163 innings. She allowed just six earned runs, posting a 0.25 ERA. She threw seven no-hitters and two perfect games.
Her determination? Marist coach Colleen Phelan pretty much said it all when talking about her decision to let Dunning finish the state championship game on her own terms.
“Abby is a workhorse,” Phelan said. “I asked her and she wanted to finish the game. We believe in all of our players, but Abby this year was really something special. She wanted to finish and we believed
she could do it.
“What she did to finish that game was like something I have never seen before. Her body had completely shut down. She did it with her heart and her mental toughness.”
Dunning didn’t follow family tradition in attending Marist.
“I live 30-plus minutes away,” Dunning said. “I was always going to go to Montini because that is where my older sisters went. I came to maybe one Marist camp, but then I shadowed here and loved the school environment.
“I also fell in love with the softball program. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
As a sophomore, Dunning had a 13-1 record, striking out 174 in 99 innings. But she was No. 2 behind senior Angela Zedak, who pitched both games at the state finals.
“The competitor inside me
wanted the ball,” Dunning said. “But this is a team sport. I knew I had to put the team above my wants. I cheered on.”
With Zedak in college at Northwestern, the 2020 season was supposed to be Dunning’s time to shine. But the coronavirus pandemic threw a curveball.
“That was devastating,” Dunning said. “When we found out we were going to have a season this year, we felt so lucky. We made sure we did everything to prevent us from having to sit out.”
The RedHawks beat every Illinois team they played. They were powerful. They had each other’s backs. They had fun.
And they had Abby. Junior outfielder Isabel Cunnea said Dunning made a difference outside of the circle as well.
“She was such a great leader on and off the field,” Cunnea said. “And she is such a princess. She’s so sweet and so funny. She says the funniest things ever. She is just a great person all around.”
Which will be a double bonus for Boston College.
“Abby had an infectious energy that everybody just enjoyed,” Phelan said. “We’re going to miss her 65 mph fastball next season, for sure. But we’re really going to miss our princess being in the dugout.
“She was fun to be around.”