HILLIARDS — Cassidy Claypoole didn't like the sun or the dirt.

Those are two things that are abundant on the softball field.

But her older sister, Cortney, played and her father, Lennie, coached. It was kind of the family business.

“I used to be dragged to Cortney's games,” Cassidy said. “I didn't like it at all. Then I saw how the sport had connected her with my dad.”

Cassidy wanted the same feeling.

She grabbed a glove and started to play.

Eight years later, she's a senior center fielder for a Moniteau High School softball team coached by her father that will play no games because of the coronavirus pandemic, that wiped out school for the academic year and all sports and activities with it.

No memories. No bonding on the diamond for Cassidy and Lennie.

“It's heartbreaking,” Cassidy said. “The sport just connected us both so well. The passion we had for it ,we shared. Making him proud was the best feeling ever.”

Lennie said he is still proud of his daughters, who both turned in quite a career on the softball field.

Cortney was a star for the Warriors for four years, helping Moniteau to the PIAA Class AA title game as a junior. She was a two-time all-state player at shortstop and batted .556 with 10 home runs, 46 doubles and 14 triples in her career.

Cassidy finished her abbreviate career with a .478 average and 31 stolen bases.

She and the team were planning on big things this season.

“We were rebuilding the last couple of years and we really had a good team coming back,” Lennie said. “We got a brand new workout facility and we were using it.”

Moniteau football coach Bob Rottman also gave the softball players a workout regime.

“I've never been in better shape,” Cassidy said.

Now, it's all for naught.

“It stinks,” Lennie said. “Wins and losses, they matter. But the time we're going to miss together matters more.”

Cortney, a junior at Slippery Rock University where she is an exercise science major, is home from school and taking online classes.

She decided not to play softball for The Rock this spring.

A realization hit the pair hard while they were playing catch on a warm, spring day during this pandemic.

“Me and Cortney got the gloves out and were playing catch when we both realized we were retired from softball,” said Cassidy, who will cheer at Slippery Rock University in the fall — if there is anything to cheer for by then. “It was a beautiful day and our parents were watching us. It was happy, but kind of sad.”

Cassidy said she already misses softball and pines for the days when she used to play.

Sun and dirt and all.

“Whenever spring would come, my whole house would be nothing but smiles,” Cassidy said. “All the time we were smiling. I was so close with my teammates and I'll miss them and I'll miss going out for ice cream after a game and all the bonding we did. And I'll miss playing for my dad.”