GROVE CITY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — All Noel Anthony was really looking for was a chance.
The Clarion graduate and freshman on the Grove City College softball team wasn’t sure if she was going to get it.
(Pictured above, Clarion graduate and Grove City College freshman Noel Anthony has shined since getting her shot as the full-time center fielder/photos courtesy of Grove City College)
There are a lot of gifted outfielders on the Wolverines’ roster and Anthony got off to a slow start to her career during a trip to Florida to begin the season.
“I was very intimidated,” Anthony said. “Honestly, I think we we have some of the greatest outfielders in the (Presidents’ Athletic Conference). Just watching what they do has really helped me out. We push each other each day at practice. I knew coming in as a freshman, I definitely had to work hard. I really wasn’t expecting to play as much as I have been.”
But that chance came for Anthony.
And she seized it.
Anthony has been impossible to displace from the lineup after getting her full-time shot against Franciscan on April 3.
She’s shown off the skills at the plate, as well as in the field, that made her one of the best all-around players in District 9 while at Clarion.
Since cracking the starting nine, Anthony is batting .533 (8 of 15) with two doubles, a triple, 10 runs scored, six RBIs and three stolen bases in five games, all wins for Grove City.
The Wolverines are currently on a seven-game winning streak.
Anthony is hitting .333 now on the season.
“I’ve gotten really blessed to even get these opportunities to start, and to even play at all,” Anthony said. “I tried to take every opportunity and make the most out of it. I’m playing for my team. I’m getting on for my team. If I don’t get on, my team still loves me. God still loves me. I’m taking that pressure off of myself.”
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Anthony has also helped take the pressure off of her Clarion teammate once upon a time and Grove City College junior pitcher Kaitlyn Constantino.
She’s been a big reason why the Wolverines are soaring right now in the PAC at 8-2 in the conference.
Constantino has been dialed in, sporting a 5-0 record with a 2.88 ERA against PAC opponents.
Constantino is 8-3 with a 3.03 ERA overall this campaign.
(Kaitlyn Constantino has been sharp this season in the circle for Grove City College)
Last year, she turned in a solid season for the Wolverines, going 7-6 with a 3.78 ERA.
This year she’s striking out fewer batters, but surrendering fewer hits and runs.
It’s been a winning formula.
“This year I really focused more on my spin work rather than in high school and freshman year just trying to blow it by people,” Constantino said. “People in college are going to hit the ball and they’re going to find ways to get on. I just really focused on different pitches and tuning the spins to work through the counts.”
It’s worked.
Constantino has also allowed her defense to do some heavy lifting for her.
And Grove City’s defense has been solid.
So has Anthony, who made several big plays during a recent doubleheader against Chatham to help the Wolverines to a sweep.
“Oh, yeah, it makes it 10 time easier (trusting your defense),” Constantino said. “It just helps me focus on throwing because if there’s a ball heading out there, they’re going to get it. I’ll turn around and Noel’s got it. I mean, in that Chatham game, she was like a vacuum out there. It didn’t matter where it was, she was two steps ahead of it.
“It just makes me feel really comfortable out there,” she added. “I allows me to throw pitches that maybe I’d be a little more timid to throw and just throw it freely because I know they have my back.”
A lot of things are working for Grove City College right now.
The team set a series of little goals to achieve along the way this season.
And one big one — play for a conference title.
“It’s definitely fun,” Constantino said. “We’re all such a tight group in the first place, so winning on top of that is just icing on the cake. We just have an amazing time anyway; we have such positive attitudes about everyone. We love each other. We love each other so well in Christ.”
“We are unified in Christ,” added Anthony. “I think that’s what truly makes us so strong. We’re not just teammates, we’re all sisters in Christ. We’re all related in that way.”
Clarion Area High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.
