BUTLER TWP — For a second consecutive season, Butler County Community College softball has a NJCAA Division III batting champion.

Only this one's a pitcher — and bats seventh in the lineup.

Knoch graduate Jessi Reed hit .667 this spring — 14 hits in 21 at bats — to lead players on all 77 NJCAA Div. III teams.

“I had no idea I was even approaching anything like that,” Reed said of leading the nation in hitting. “I figured (teammate) Nikki Houk was gonna do that again.”

Houk, a New Castle graduate, hit .627 to claim the NJCAA batting crown last season. She led all 350 NJCAA teams of all divisions.

Reed's average was second overall in NJCAA this year to Chyann Hooker of Northern Virginia Community College, who hit .682 in Division II.

“I hit lower in the order because we have a lot of girls who hit for power on this team,” Reed said. “Most of my hits were singles.

“I'd hit the ball and it would find the gaps ... I guess some lucky gaps. I didn't exactly crush the ball.”

BC3 coach Dan Beebe gives Reed's bat a lot more credit than that.”

What Jessi did this year was pretty amazing,” he said. “College pitchers at any level have to spend a lot of time working at it to be good at their craft.

“Jessi hit her spots as a pitcher. She wasn't overpowering, but she mastered the drop-ball, which I believe is the most effective pitch in softball. When you miss, you miss low. No one is hitting that pitch out of the park.”

Reed doesn't believe she ever hit much higher than .500 during her Knoch High School career. She will not be playing collegiate softball beyond this season.

“Offensively, Jessi did a great job knocking in runs from her spot in the lineup or getting on base for the top part of the batting order,” Beebe said. “She was a very effective two-way player for us.”

The Pioneers were only 5-3 this season as much of their schedule fell victim to the poor spring weather. They were 25-8 overall with two conference championships in Reed's time there.

Reed and Houk were both named first team Region XX both years.

As a pitcher, Reed was 5-1 this season, allowing just 34 hits in 33.2 innings. She struck out 24, walked eoght and had an earned run average of 2.50.

She credited Slippery Rock graduate Alexis Vogan, her catcher, for much of her success on the mound.

“I throw very well to her,” Reed said in a statement. “She knows what to call. She knows which pitches I am feeling. She knows what pitches I have that are working.”

She credited Beebe for her hitting exploits.

“He's a great coach,” Reed said. “He makes sure we get all of our work in. We all took a lot of swings in practice and it paid off.”

Majoring in business administration, Reed said her only disappointment this season was the team not getting in more games.

“It was my last season and, of course, I was hoping to play a lot more games,” she said. “You can't control the weather, though.

“I got to play a season with my sister (Codi Reed) and my mom (Roni Mall) coached us that year. Now I win a batting title in my last year. It's a great way to go out.

“Our whole team was laid back. We had fun. That attitude worked for us,” Reed added.

So did her bat.

“All of the teams in our area were fighting ther weather this year,” Beebe said. “We were competitive with all of them until we had to face teams in Maryland (in the Region XX tourney) who played more than 30 games. That made a difference.

“I would have loved to seen what Jessi might have done if we played more games. She was as hot as she was playing once every other week. She just never cooled off.”

Reed's softball career is over. Her involvement in the game isn't.

“I could coach kids, play pick-up games ... I'll stay around the game somehow. I'm planning to move on to a four-year school, but I'll focus strictly on college from here on.

“I never planned to play ball in college, but I'm sure glad I did.”