Success is a tradition for Shepard softball, which has won nine conference titles since 2015.
Abbie Statham-Ball wants to keep it that way.
“We have a good group of girls,” Statham-Ball said. “All our seniors are really close, which makes it really enjoyable. I love all the underclassmen this year. I have a great bond with them.”
The senior shortstop played gold-glove defense, delivered three big hits (including a sixth-inning home run) and four runs batted in, and stole a couple bases in Shepard’s 7-2 win at St. Laurence on May 23. The Astros improved to 28-6.
“She’s everything you want out of shortstop,” Astros coach Bridget McDermott said. “A shortstop is supposed to be a very athletic person on the field, (have) good communication with everyone on the field and be a vacuum, scooping up balls in her area. That’s what she does.”
Her performance all season earned her all-conference honors alongside teammates Kailey Selvage, Londynn Sedlak, Meghan Potenza and Madison Scapardine. Selvage went the distance for the win against St. Laurence, while Scapardine drove in two runs.
Lexy Stergiopoulos, who was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs against the Vikings, and freshman third baseman Carly Edmiston were honorable mention all-conference picks.
“Abbie’s improved a lot from last year to this year,” McDermott said. “She’s more powerful and she’s a beast at shortstop.”
Statham-Ball has grown closest this senior season with Edmiston.
“I love Carly so much,” Statham-Ball said. “I see a lot of myself in her and I think she is going to excel.”
The infield duo spend a great deal of time talking strategy and ways to improve their play.
“Abbie has a super good softball IQ,” McDermott said. “(She) and Carly work together and understand what we need to do.”
While Statham-Ball’s time is coming to an end in an Astros uniform, she is glad to be doing it alongside Edmiston.
“She’s always a bubbly person and I am glad she (is) next to me playing third because she keeps the happiness vibes going when things are down,” Statham-Bell said.
St. Laurence looks to playoffs
St. Laurence dropped its final two regular-season games, but won a share of the GCAC Red title with Providence and has locked in its third 20-win season since the program’s inception.
Coach Teagan Walsh has been there every step of the way since 2018 and continues to be proud of the efforts of her players.
“The big thing is they competed all year,” Walsh said. “We’ve seen the competition and know what we have to do.”
Junior pitcher Maddie Misch struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings against Shepard while allowing earned runs.
“The word that comes to mind is steady,” Walsh said. “She has a calm demeanor. She’s a fierce competitor and nothing shakes her.”
“I am trying to throw as many strikes as I can,” Misch said. “I have confidence in myself.”
Misch and Walsh are not discouraged either. They know what the Vikings (20-7 through last week) have done this season already and what they can do come playoffs.
“Chips didn’t fall in our favor, and it’s hard,” Walsh said. “We’re going to work on it and have some good couple days of practice until the regional.”
“We worked too hard to get to this point,” Misch said. “We need to continue to keep pushing forward. We know where we could go.”
Coincidentally Abbie and Maddie played travel ball and won a national championship tournament together, along with two of Maddie’s St. Laurence Vivi Chavez and Nina Villa and fellow high school standouts Kat Berkery (Oaklawn), Kaycee McManus (Bremen), Bri Anderson (Oak Forest), Sky Egan (Richards), Mia Albon (Richards) and Emilia Green (Argo). A stand alone team that ran together for four years or so the Chicago Ridge Rebels.