NA sophomore already standout
North Allegheny sophomore Rachel Martindale is no stranger to the ballpark diamond. Yet, she's still a relative newcomer when it comes to softball.
It wasn’t that long ago that Martindale was playing baseball with the boys for Ingomar Franklin Park Athletic Association. She was a perennial league all-star who batted .400, and was a solid pitcher. She also played shortstop and second base. At age 12, while in seventh grade, she joined the middle school softball team having never played before.
“I could have played baseball, but that wasn't my future,” said Martindale. “It was the right time to switch over.”
In a small amount of time, Martindale has made big strides. Last summer, she committed to play at Pitt, having played just three years of softball.
She made it look easy, but Martindale said transitioning from baseball to softball had some tricky parts, especially going from tracking an overhand baseball pitch to an underhand softball pitch.
“The hitting was a little bit different,” she said. “The contact was there, but when they started throwing different pitches, softball is a little harder to pick up. The release point from the pitcher is a little harder to pick up.”
Martindale had a laugh recalling all the times early in her softball career when she forgot that she couldn't take a lead off the bases.
There were advantages to having played baseball. Martindale, who plays shortstop, said that tracking a batted softball is much easier after having chased down tinier baseballs for so long.
As a freshman, Martindale batted .492 with 4 home runs, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 29 RBIs. She picked up where she left off last season and smacked a double in the season-opener against South Park March 30.
Martindale is also a twoyear starter for the basketball team and she could have played that in college if she wanted. Duquesne had already made her an offer.
Martindale will continue to play both sports for North Allegheny, but during the summers she will play softball for the Outlaws traveling squad and forgo AAU basketball.
“There was definitely a struggle picking,” she said. “Softball is what's in my heart.”
Derry Area
Derry Area junior Chelsea Bisi has been in the starting lineup since her freshman season, but that’s not the most impressive streak she has going. Bisi, a Penn State recruit, has never struck out in a high school game. As a freshman, she batted .667 and last season her average was .571. Bisi bats cleanup and also pitches for the Trojans.
Mt. Lebanon
The softball season is young, and so is Mt. Lebanon. The Blue Devils return several starters from last season, but have no seniors on the roster. Mt. Lebanon plays in the largest classification, Class 6A. The Blue Devils played like an experienced squad Monday, pulling out a 3-2 Section 1 win against Peters Township in eight innings.
Jeannette
Prior to Jeannette hosting Riverview Monday, players from both teams gathered around the circle for a balloon releasing ceremony to honor former Jayhawks pitcher Scarlett Stein, who passed away in December after suffering a heart attack.