Sudden Impact
FREEPORT — The varsity stage wasn't too big for Freeport softball freshmen Emily Schmidt and Maya Borghol this season.
To the contrary, they practically owned it.
The Yellowjackets' shortstop and left fielder stepped up and stepped into vital roles as their team rolled to one of the best years in program history.
“They didn't unseat anybody,” Freeport coach Sam Ross said. “They filled voids that we had.”
While senior Claire Crytzer was recovering from a back problem, Schmidt took over at shortstop to begin the season. Schmidt's play was so solid that Crytzer was inserted at third base upon returning to the lineup.
Freeport senior Ashleigh Schmidt, Emily's sister, started at second base when she wasn't pitching.
“It was a neat thing watching those two play side by side,” Ross said.
Borghol won the left field spot and proved to be a strength offensively and defensively.
Freeport went on to post a 13-2 overall record, reach the WPIAL semifinals for the first time ever and polish off a 10-0 mark in section play.
The Yellowjackets have put together nine consecutive winning seasons and are 81-29 in section games during that stretch.
“When you have freshmen come up and make an impact, it makes such a big difference,” Ross said. “Sometimes the level of play, the added amount of practice, it can be overwhelming to a first-year varsity player.
“Club softball definitely helps in that regard. I'm sure it did with these two.”
Borghol hit .405 this season and led Freeport with eight stolen bases. Schmidt hit .400 and was second on the squad with 18 RBI.
Both were influenced in the game by family members. While Schmidt grew up watching her sister play, Borghol gained interest in softball through her mother, Kelly, a Freeport graduate and former Yellowjacket pitcher.
Schmidt's mother, Kathy Kane, played softball at North Alleghemny.
“I've been playing fast-pitch since I was 8,” Borghol said. “I used to go over to my grandparents' house, hit, play catch, play wiffleball, whatever.
“I was always playing ball.”
Borghol is playing center field for the Steel City Cyclones this season. She's been playing travel ball since she was 9.
“Travel ball is a huge help,” she said. “It got me ready to face high school pitching. You just get better the more you play.”Borghol said the Cyclones play a tournament every weekend this summer, the majority of them out of town. The team also practices once a week.A left-handed batter, Borghol said her strengths are “my speed on the bases and my arm in the outfield.“You gain a few steps toward first as a left-hand hitter and that helps, too.”Borghol led the Yellowjackets with eight stolen bases this season. She was never caught stealing.Schmidt said Ashleigh “was a real role model for me. She pushed me to play.”The Schmidt sisters played T-ball in baseball. While Ashleigh played baseball a few more years, Emily switched to softball at age 8.Besides hitting .472 with 18 RBI, Ashleigh was 9-0 with a 1.21 earned run average as a pitcher.“This year was my only chance to play with her at Freeport and I really wanted to earn a starting spot,” the younger Schmidt said. “Once they put me at shortstop, I worked hard to keep that spot.“I had a lot of motivation — and Claire was amazing at third base.”While Ashleigh is headed to Penn State-Behrend to play softball next year, Emily will be back at Freeport.And watching her sister play.“I'll be doing both,” she said. “I'll get a feel for what college softball is like by watching her games. I watch college softball on TV all the time.”Like Borghol, Emily Schmidt is playing travel ball this summer. She is playing shortstop for the Pittsburgh Passion, which plays in tournaments every weekend this summer but one.“The summer coaches are great at teaching fundamentals and giving younger players a feel for high school ball,” Emily said.Freeport has seven incoming freshmen playing travel ball this summer.“I watched them play the other night and some of those girls are going to step right in and help us,” Ross said. “We had girls on this year's team — Claire Crytzer, Becca Fennell, Ashleigh Schmidt, Jenna Hildebrand — who were four-year letterwinners.“Ally DeJidas and Tori Radvan will be in that category next year. We've gotten help from freshmen a lot recently.”Borghol and Schmidt are the latest.“With the talent we have coming back, along with the incoming freshman class ... We could be as good, if not better, than we were this year,” Borghol said. “That's what we're hoping.”
Here is where Freeport freshmen Maya Borghol and Emily Schmidt ranked with the Yellowjackets this season:Batting average4th-Maya Borghol .4055th-Emily Schmidt .400RBI2nd-Emily Schmidt 184th-Maya Borghol 14Home runs2nd-Maya Borgol 3Slugging percentage4th-Maya Borghol .690Runs scored3rd-Maya Borghol 174th-Emily Schmidt 15Stolen bases1st-Maya Borghol 8-for-8
