It's a warm Sunday evening and Abbie Thrower punches her glove and readies for the pitch at her position at third base.

It's her seventh game of a very long day of softball.

Such is life in the summer months for Thrower, a junior at Knoch, who plays for the Pittsburgh Pride traveling softball team.

“Yeah,” Thrower says, laughing. “I'm real tired at the end of the day. But we all love it. We love it so much.”

That's what keeps them going during a brutal summer schedule. While some of their friends are relaxing, going to movies and basking in the sun at pool side, they are smudging eye black on their cheeks and honing their softball skills.

When they aren't playing for their community teams in area leagues or getting batting and pitching lessons, they are traveling to Pittsburgh for practice.

On the weekends, most travel even farther, to places like Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and even Tennessee, to play in as many as 10 tournament games over the course of a hectic three days.

It's become a necessity. Every softball player worth her weight in sunflower seeds is playing for a traveling team these days.

Mars softball coach Michele Goodworth had eight players on her roster this spring who played for traveling teams. She said that was by far the highest number in her 15 seasons guiding the Planets' softball program.

“I give the girls a lot of credit. I commend them,” Goodworth said. “That's a pretty big commitment they are making.”

It's almost a requirement, said Butler softball coach Dan Hindman.

“The bottom line is, if your girls aren't playing on these teams, you're behind,” he said. “You have to get your girls on the field playing in the summer.”

That's not a problem for many of the girls, usually high school sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Softball is an obsession for them, said Karns City senior and Pride middle infielder Morgan Deal.

“I'm really devoted to it,” she said. “Last summer I played on four teams. I don't know why I don't get burned out on it, maybe because I enjoy it so much.”

Deal is also a standout goalkeeper for the Gremlins' girls soccer team. She still finds time to work on her softball skills year-round.

“Travel ball, what it offers me is a chance to get a college scholarship,” she said.

College scouts flock to these summer tournaments, looking for prospective players to add to their teams.

They are only permitted to approach high school seniors, but all the players know they are watching.

That adds to the pressure at these events.

“You just have to do what you do best and not worry about who is watching,” Thrower said. “That will just distract you.”

“It does play a big role,” said Mars senior outfielder and first baseman Kasey Jones, who plays for the Lady Bulldogs traveling team based in Carnegie. “It's a little nerve-wracking. I just try to pretend they aren't there.”

Of course, the players have ample opportunities to show what they can do.

The tournament season usually lasts nine weeks, cutting through the heart of the summer.

Then there is the season in the fall, either through their high schools or other sanctioned teams, and the school season in the spring.

That's a lot of softball.

“I probably play between 120 and 150 games a year,” Thrower said. “Yeah, it's a lot. But you just really have fun. That keeps you going.”

Even in the winter months, most softball players find ways to practice, going to indoor batting cages or have indoor lessons with a hitting or pitching coach.

“There's never really an ending point,” said Knoch senior Codi Reed. She should know. She is also an instructor, teaching the finer points of batting and pitching to younger girls throughout the year. “This is my social life.”

Some like Moniteau junior pitcher Taylor Hasychak forgo playing for a travel team all together to work with a coach.Well, in her case, two coaches. Hasychak has two of them — one for pitching and one for hitting — who work with her several times a week during the summer.“I think it's better because it's one-on-one and hands on,” said Hasychak, who did play for a traveling team last year. “The competition was good to have, but I think I'm getting better working with the personal coaches.”One of the reasons why Hasychak decided to focus on individual training and not join a traveling team was because of the time and financial commitment — for both her and her parents.It's not just the players who sacrifice. Parents do, too. Many log thousands of miles on their cars during the summer, and spend nearly as many dollars on hotels and expenses that go along with it.“It's really hard, especially when you don't have a driver's license,” said Knoch junior and first-year member of the Pride, Chandler Krelow. “Your parents have to take you everywhere. It's a lot of money. It's challenging and I can't thank mine enough.”Krelow is on her third team in three years. The teams she was on the last two seasons folded.Choosing a new squad to play for is tough. It's also a lot of pressure.“It's very emotional picking a new team,” Krelow said.Even established players like Thrower must try out for a spot every year.They can only play for one traveling team and sometimes making a choice proves difficult.“It's extremely hard,” said Thrower, who has been a member of the Pride for four years. “I don't want to leave any of these girls. They are my friends, but you have to see if there is another team that can give you a different opportunity.”Most softball players get their start at the T-ball and coach-pitch level before they move on to softball.Some enjoy softball right away. Others don't, however.Karns City junior Clara Stoughton disliked softball so much when she was younger, she tried to quit.“My mom made me stick with it,” she said.Now, Stoughton is a member of the Butler Sting and has fallen in love with the game and her position as a catcher.“I love it because every play goes through me,” Stoughton said. “The ball comes to me on every pitch, and I feel like I have more power to help the team win, to be more of a leader.”Stoughton also enjoys playing in the youth softball league. It gives her a chance to further improve her skills.“It's not like the travel team because it isn't as high-pressure,” Stoughton said. “You can make mistakes there and learn from them so you don't make the same error again.”Even the weather can't slow these players down.“If it rains,” Thrower says with a laugh, “I have a batting cage in the garage.”