Maggie has Sentinel pride

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Maggie Reifsnyder doesn’t care how many wins she gets on the mound. Nor is she concerned about how many home runs she belts this spring.
Through four games this spring the senior leads the Little Flower High School softball team in long balls. She’s also the ace of the Sentinels’ pitching staff and has a pair of wins to her credit.
But throwing balls past batters or taking slow trots around the base paths isn’t what Reifsnyder is hoping for this year.
"I just want to have fun," the four-year varsity player said. "I just want to enjoy the season with my friends. They’re the ones who make it so much fun, and we all pick each other up. The only thing I care about is having fun with them."
But winning is fun. And if the Sentinels hope to have a great year, Reifsnyder is going to lead the way.
During her first two years at Little Flower, Reifsnyder didn’t see a whole lot of time on the mound, because her older sister Erin was the team’s stud hurler.
During that time, Maggie manned first base and became a key contributor as the Sentinels advanced to the playoffs both years.
Last year, in her first season as the team’s go-to pitcher, Reifsnyder helped Little Flower finish second in the Catholic League Southern Division.
The Sentinels also won their first-round game, a 2-0 triumph over Archbishop Carroll, before falling to eventual champs Archbishop Wood, 2-0, in the semifinals.
That was the third year in a row that the Vikings ousted Little Flower from the playoffs in the semis.
This year, head coach Harvey Maddock has set lots of goals.
He needs his ace pitcher to come through if any of those desires come true.
"Well, I guess the first thing we want to do is make the playoffs and then to win the South," Maddock said. "Then the goal would be to go undefeated in the South. Then, we want to go as far as possible in the playoffs.
"I have a nice team this year," the coach continued. "We have a lot of experience, a lot of hard workers and a lot of talent. I really like this team. I think it’s a great group."
So does Reifsnyder.
She has accomplished many things on the diamond, but a Catholic League title has eluded her, so a chance to hoist the plaque come June would be nice.
"I have a lot of goals this year, but I don’t really have any individual goals," she said. "I honestly just want to keep playing with this team for as long as I can. We’re a pretty close team and if we keep winning, it means we’ll still have more games together, so I just want to keep winning."
While driving in runs from the cleanup spot can help, Reifsnyder’s pitching will determine how far the Sentinels make it this spring.
Known primarily as a fastball hurler, Reifsnyder has developed four other pitches that should help her this year.
"My fastball is my best pitch, but I can throw other stuff," she said. "It’s nice when you can keep hitters off balance. When you have more than a fastball, you can throw other pitches. It’s such an advantage, it makes pitching so much easier."
Next year, Reifsnyder will likely take her talents and pitches to Kutztown University, where she’ll continue her softball career.
"I’ve visited a lot of schools, but Kutztown was my favorite," she said. "I like it because it’s a small school. I don’t think I’d like a big school."
She knows by experience.
The Mayfair resident fell in love with her high school when she visited it as an eighth-grader five years ago. Now that her days as a Sentinel are coming to an end, she’s starting to get a little emotional.
"This was a great school," Reifsnyder said. "I’m really going to miss everything about it. I liked the school, I loved playing softball here, I love my friends, the coaches.
"I went here because my older sister went here and because I got a scholarship to come here, and I’m so glad I did," she added. "It’s worked out perfect. I just hope to have a great end of the year and go into college on a good note.
"This was a lot of fun, but I think I’m ready to go out on my own and enjoy college, too." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com