Youth movement driving NDP’s success on the diamond
By Nelson Coffin
nelson@iaamsports.com
Not all of Notre Dame Prep’s softball players are underclassmen, although it might seem that way sometimes.
For instance, of the first seven hitters in the stacked Blazers’ lineup, just one — senior second baseman/pitcher Haley Amato — is not from the 2026 or 2027 classes.
Outfielders Audrey Gambo and Grace Wagner are the only other senior starters on a squad that skews young, plays hard and is very talented.
It begins with star shortstop Abby Pitz leading off, followed by fellow sophomore Lucy Meyers, a center fielder whose triple plated Pitz for the only run in the B Conference championship game last spring against St. John’s Catholic Prep.
Amato hits in the three-hole, setting the table for freshmen third baseman Luci Whiting in the cleanup spot.
So far, the slugging left-handed Whiting has been tearing the cover off the ball against league foes, pounding five homers and knocking in 16 runs while batting a torrid .917.
Freshman infield/pitcher Lea Neff, Gambo and sophomore catcher Natalie Wagner are next in line before sophomore first baseman Ryan Owenson takes her turn at the plate.
Junior Gracie Gourlay, who blanked the Vikings on two hits in the 2023 final, will continue to be the No. 1 pitcher for NDP this season.
After beating Maryvale, 11-9, last week, and 8-2 on Thursday, the Blazers sit atop the B Conference standings with a 4-0 record, although it took a late-inning rally to prevail over the Lions in the first encounter.
“In some ways, we haven’t been playing that well,” NDP coach Emily Solel said. “But we still have room to grow and it’s still early in the season. Our goal is to get back to the championship game, but we still need to relax a little bit and play NDP softball. We need to bring back that family feeling that we created last year.”
With 17 players on the roster, Solel is not afraid to go to her bench in times of need.
And that’s exactly what she did when the Blazers were facing a six-run deficit against Maryvale by calling on freshman catcher Ella Holdaway for some pinch-hitting prowess in the sixth inning.
The rookie delivered in a big way with a double that Solel said, “turned the lineup over” to the point where Pitz eventually knocked in the winning runs.
“We’re young and strong, and we have a lot of depth,” Solel added. “But we haven’t seen St. John’s yet. We can’t overlook anybody in the B Conference.”
Amato said that she attributes the Blazers’ success to togetherness, “because we play for each other as a team and not as individuals. I feel that we have 17 pillars of strength and support. I am so lucky to finish my softball career with this team.”