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The Purbalite

The student news site of Baldwin High School

The Purbalite

The student news site of Baldwin High School

The Purbalite

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Softball gains club status, grows

BY VICTORIA SOMMER
Staff Writer

Although their record is not where they would like it to be, slow-pitch softball players say that becoming Baldwin’s newest club sport is victory enough.

The club started when Coach Rip Odato wanted the team’s efforts to be recognized by the school, so he made it his goal to get approved as a club sport.

The same group of girls has played together for multiple years on softball teams not associated with the school.

Odato realized that Baldwin’s slow-pitch team had a “strong presence in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League” and believed it would be good to make this team a part of the school.

Advantages of having club sport status include being recognized in the yearbook, school announcements about games, and participation in school pep rallies. Since slow-pitch softball is a club sport, the members are required to purchase their own equipment and uniforms.

The team plays against local areas such as West Mifflin and Bethel Park but also faces teams farther away, like Fort Cherry and South Fayette. The teams biggest rivalries are the nearby teams, like Bethel Park.

The school already has an established a fast-pitch spring team, but there are many girls who from a young age have been playing slow-pitch softball and would like to continue to play it in high school.

The team started off with a 0-7 record.

The team had one of its toughest games on Sept. 18 against Bethel Park. The team lost 19-13.

 “We were up by one going into the bottom of the sixth inning when the other team brought in 10 runs. Then with our last at bat we gained four runs back,” senior catcher Katie Wilson said.

The team consists of 15 girls ranging from freshman to seniors.

Senior Sami George, who first joined the program two seasons before it became an official club sport said, “We are all good players and we each have our strengths. Different players have different standout contributions to the team.”

The team does not have any designated team captains, but a group of seniors have assumed leadership positions.

“We’re the motivators of the team. We’re the oldest, so we have to make sure that everyone keeps their heads up if we have a bad inning or a bad game in general,” George said.

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