GROVE CITY - For Abby Moose, it really isn't a comeback.

"It's more of a start up," Moose said.

Almost eight years ago, when Moose was a freshman at Portersville Christian School, she played modified fast-pitch softball for the Warriors.

After that season, she put down the bat and glove and picked up the basketball for good.

On the court, she enjoyed standout season after standout season for Portersville Christian and then Mercer High School. At Grove City College, Moose, who is hearing impaired, became the school's fifth all-time leading scorer and won a gold medal as a member of the United States Deaflympic women's basketball team.

But Moose wasn't done.

She decided to play softball again for Grove City.

"I just thought why not go for it," Moose said. "What the heck? That's usually my approach."

It has been a good one for Moose and Grove City.

The senior second baseman is hitting a respectable .274 with two triples and six RBI in 24 games. She leads the team in stolen bases with nine and also leads the Wolverines in runs and walks.

Perhaps most impressive has been her fielding. Moose has made just three errors and has a fielding percentage of .968.

Not bad for someone who was away from fast-pitch softball for eight years.

"She's a great athlete," said Grove City softball coach Michelle Santom. "She could do anything. She's a great soccer player. She could set a school record in the (800-meter run) if she wanted to. And she can play softball."

Moose's decision to play softball wasn't a spur-of-the-moment one. She has been contemplating making a comeback, er, "start up" for several years.

One of her best friends on the basketball team, Rachel Romance, is the Wolverines' shortstop.

"I guess I gave in to peer pressure," Moose quipped.

Santom had been curious to see what Moose could do on the softball field for years, but she was reluctant to just come out and suggest to her to join the team.

"It was a running joke for a couple of years," Santom said. "I knew she could help us, but I didn't want to push her. I wanted it to be something she wanted to do so she would play with her heart."

Moose, who has played slow-pitch softball every summer since her high school days, had no fear about her defensive game.

When it came to hitting, though, she had lots of trepidation.

"I was worried at first if I could even put the bat on the ball," Moose said. "That's all I tried to do was to just make contact and pray.

"It's just like shooting a 3 - take a shot and hope."

Moose uses her speed to her advantage while in the batter's box. It comes in handy even more in the field.

Santom said Moose gets to ground balls that normally scoot through for singles.

"Her range is incredible," Santom said. "She does those things that don't show up in the box score. She knocks down balls that no one else could get to to save runs. She's won us some games because of her defense."

Moose also received a crash course in Softball 101 when she joined the team.

During one of the first practices of the season, Santom was going over bunt coverage. Moose simply stood in place as the play was run, not realizing she was supposed to cover first.

While on a trip to Florida, Moose would often ask her teammates to explain something that happened in the field.

"I had to ask a lot of questions at first," Moose said. "But (my teammates) helped me out a lot."

Moose wasn't worried about how her teammates would treat her because she was joining the team so late.

That lack of fear was well founded, considering Moose was nearly voted the team's most valuable player.

"The other players recognized what she meant to this team," Santom said.

The only lament Santom has is that Moose didn't join the team sooner.

"She's just now learning how to slap the ball to get a hit," Santom said. "The only sad part is I won't have her again next year. I was just glad I had the opportunity to coach her in a sport."

Moose hopes to get into coaching as her playing days wind down. Ultimately, her desire to get one last athletic hurrah in led her to the softball diamond.

"I wasn't ready to be done," Moose said.