By: Kurt Harnish ’20, Staff Writer

A rare accomplishment was reached by a Lebanon Valley College softball pitcher during one of the team’s fall ball games at Millersville University.

Maddie Abbot, a sophomore physical therapy major, started playing the game she loves in third grade. It began when she was hanging out with her friends and they introduced her to the sport.

“That night, after playing softball with my friends, my parents went out and bought me a pink softball glove and signed me up for rec ball,” Abbot said.

Abbot grew to love softball because of her favorite position on the field.

“I seemed to get the hang of pitching right away,” Abbot said. “It came easy to me and it allows me to outsmart the batter. It is challenging and it is fun.”

Abbot has always wanted to play college softball since she started playing, but when the time came during her senior year to make the decision to play or not, she was at a crossroad. She ended up deciding to play because softball has been a part of her.

“Softball was an identity for me,” Abbot said. “I couldn’t give it up.”

She has had great success on the mound since her freshman year as she was awarded First Team All MAC and won a Player of the Week award.

Abbot has had other impressive accomplishments during her high school career as she threw multiple no hitters, perfect games, shutouts and was a first team conference all-star multiple times.

However, her most impressive accomplishment was setting the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Triple A (AAA) state strikeout record, which still stands today.

“I hope to repeat what I accomplished last season or do better,” Abbot said. “I also hope that as a team, we will be able to win the conference and the MAC championship.”

Abbot and the team had a big weekend as the softball team traveled to Millersville for three fall ball games. Abbot started where she left off last year as she threw a shutout against Division II Millersville University.

Head Coach Erin Whitman was proud of how her team did in the fall ball games.

“The team did really well,” Whitman said. “Even with the girls being in different positions, all of the girls did good in the spots they were in.”

Whitman also talked about Abbot’s performance during the games.

“She picked up right where she left off last year,” Whitman said. “She is a ‘bulldog’ on the mound and did a great job spinning her pitchers. It is also very rare for a pitcher to pitch the whole game, like Maddie did. Especially against a Division II team.”

Whitman has high expectations for the team as she hopes the team will be able to make playoffs and win the MAC, but she also wants the girls to learn about life as well as softball.

kph001@lvc.edu