Making her pitch for the Hall
This is the sixth in a series of seven articles profiling the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2017.VALENCIA — Monica Glomb's goal remained the same throughout her high school softball career.“I wanted to strike out every batter I faced,” said the 2007 graduate.While she never quite reached that standard, her lofty expectations led to some incredible numbers.Glomb struck out 745 batters in her scholastic career and gave up less than one earned run per game. During her junior campaign in 2006, she went 19-1 and led the Planets to their first and to date, only, WPIAL softball championship.Glomb will be one of seven individuals inducted into the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 8.She already had valuable experience under her belt when she arrived to Mars' varsity team as a freshman in the spring of 2004.“I started playing softball at a young age,” said Glomb. “I played three games of slow-pitch and my dad said, 'We're getting you to fast-pitch.'“I picked up tournament ball when I was 8 and always played at a higher (age) level to make me better.”Her father, John, served as one of her coaches during the tournament season.“Playing in tournaments had a lot to do with my success,” she said. “It was a lot more competitive than high school.“My dad and mom (Marie) sacrificed a lot for me. All the time they put in and the money spent on individual lessons, I didn't realize everything it meant at the time, but I'm extremely grateful for it now.”In the 2006 WPIAL Class AAA title game, Glomb and the Planets faced defending champion Ambridge. She struck out 12 batters as Mars posted a 2-1 victory. In four district playoff games that season, Glomb allowed a combined four runs while striking out 46 and walking just two.“It takes a whole team to win a championship,” she said. “I know that title meant a lot to our coaches.“By the time I was a senior, my fastball reached about 62 (mph), but it wasn't consistent,” said Glomb. “The average was between 58 and 59.”But what made Glomb so dominant was her full arsenal of pitches, which also included a curveball, screwball, rise, drop and change-up.Glomb received a scholarship to play at Kutztown University and turned in a career detailed in the Golden Bears' record book.She still ranks second in school history with 110 games and 424 career strikeouts while sitting at fifth in innings pitched (521).Glomb managed 44 career complete games and 16 shutouts while earning a 53-21 record in college. She was named to the All-PSAC East First Team as a junior and senior. The Golden Bears qualified for the NCAA Division II Regionals all four years she was part of the team.Throughout her playing career, luck and personal commitment combined to keep Glomb on the field.“I never had a big injury,” she said. “I took very good care of myself and was in very good shape.”In April, Glomb was inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame and will soon receive the same honor from her alma mater.“It's very exciting,” she said of being recognized by Mars. “I know it means a lot to my family. My days of playing softball have been over for a while. It's been nice to look back and relive the glory days.”
