The communication between a pitcher and catcher is pretty darn important in softball; and Ewing High is fortunate to have battery mates with an excellent symbiotic relationship.
It doesn’t hurt that they also have pretty good bats.
Hurler Abby Singer and catcher Emily Gamboa Ordini are lifelong friends who have played either with or against each since they were 8-years-old. At age 4 Ordini was one of the youngest players on the field in t-ball. Upon moving to Ewing rec softball she was united with Singer; and the two also played several years with the Ewing Edge travel team before Abby switched to a team in Pennsylvania.
They reunited in middle school and burst on the varsity scene together in a big way as Blue Devils freshmen.
“We’ve been friends forever,” Singer said. “It’s great to have her. We’ve been playing together since we were real young. We both came to tryouts last year hoping to make varsity. Once we made it, it was ‘Maybe we’ll throw together.’”
They did more than that. Not only did Singer become the starting pitcher and Ordoni the starting catcher; both were offensive terrors. Abby hit .388 with seven doubles, a triple, a home run and 17 RBIs, while Emily hit .621 with a team-high 41 hits, 10 doubles, a team-leading three homers and 22 RBIs.
But for Abby, it wasn’t as easy as it looked.
“Personally, it was nerve wracking my freshman year,” she said. “There were a lot of seniors. I was 15 and all these 18 year olds were there. I was just hoping to get myself on varsity and prove myself from there. I think I’ve done that, thus far.”
She has done just that. But how?
“I think everyone on the team was super welcoming and that really helped,” Singer said. “On top of that I relied on coaching and my great support system at home. That was super helpful. My parents, my travel coaches and teammates all helped.”
The results are obvious.
This year Singer, through the Blue Devils 10-12 start, was batting .370 with five extra-base hits and 23 RBIs. She was second on the team in hits (27) and average behind red-hot fellow sophomore Amonnie Wertz Panniel (31 hits, .408) and second in RBIs to senior Natalie Santiago (24 RBIs, .347).
She is also the Devils No. 1 pitcher again this year and, although her numbers are not eye-popping, coach Katie Schuh has no complaints.
“She’s a phenomenal pitcher,” Schuh said. “She’s got an array of different pitches. She commands the locations very well. She has a good demeanor out there in the circle.”
She also has it at the plate, especially with runners on base.
“She’s hitting the crap out of the ball,” Schuh continued. “She just goes up there with the attitude that she’s gonna get a hit and most of the time she does. She handles pressure well. She keeps herself nice and calm; doesn’t really show her emotions. You could put the pressure on her but it doesn’t seem to affect her.”
That’s because she welcomes it.
“I love the pressure,” Singer said. “I would much rather perform with people on base than without. My plate approach is the same every time. I go up just looking for contact.”
Ordini also proved she could hit the ball last year, and surprised herself at how well she did.
“That was crazy to me; especially facing really good pitchers,” she said. “I shocked myself last year. This year I started slow but it’s building back up now.”
The catcher did, indeed, get off to a rough start. But in a four game stretch from May 5-15, Emily began to show her true capabilities by going 6-for-15 with four doubles and six RBIs.
“As a hitter, she struggled at the beginning of the year but now she’s come out of it,” Schuh said. “Slumps take a while to get through, but now is the time you want to overcome them.”
Equally important entering the state tournament (Ewing was eighth in Central Jersey Group III power points as of May 18) is how well Singer throws the ball. Much of that is predicated on the chemistry she has with her lifelong friend.
“I feel like it’s a comfort thing when we’re out there,” Ordini said. “I trust her, I know she can throw strikes, I know she’s gonna get those outs.
“Being friends for a long time and playing softball for a long time has really helped. Especially coming into high school ball. When we both made varsity we were both comfortable with each other. We had somebody there that we know we can trust and talk to and have that comfort on the field.”
It is an intangible not lost on the coach.
“It’s a really nice collaboration they’ve got going on,” Schuh said. “They played together growing up, so they definitely connect well together; and they set a good leadership for the team even though they’re only sophomores. They learned a lot from the senior class last year and had to carry themselves and it helped them grow even more as players.”
Both are veteran softballers. Singer has been in the circle since her career started at age 8, but for a while the sport was not on her radar.
“I didn’t love it originally. It was a big tantrum to get me out here,” she said with a laugh. “I was a die-hard gymnast before I played softball. That fizzled out pretty quickly once I started the sport. As soon as I settled in and found some friends, I loved it. But I needed everything. Glove, bat, cleats.”
It did not take long for her to start taking pitching seriously.
“At first I didn’t have a coach or anything but once I started, we had to open that door,” said Singer, who was 10 shy of 200 career strikeouts entering the state tournament. “I got a coach, I’ve been with him for about six years. My first couple of years was off and on with different people til I found the right fit.”
And in the same way she loves pressure at the plate, she welcomes it on the mound.
“She has very good control on her spin pitches, good control on her curve and fastball,” Ordini said. “She’s pretty confident out there. She likes when we’re in those tough situations. She pretty much gets out of them. “
Ordini actually started as a first baseman and she plays third base in travel ball. But her true love is behind the plate.
“I started when I was 11 or 12, and started doing it fulltime in high school,” she said. “I really enjoy catching, it’s my favorite thing to do. I’m also a (starting) goalie in soccer so it helps. They’re both really important positions and I love being in the center of everything.”
Schuh feels that Ordini “is a very good catcher. She gets into the game, she knows how to talk to her pitcher and get her focused. She frames well, it’s very natural.”
The best part about it, is that the coach will have the two best buds, along with Paniel, for another two years. Also back next year is junior Ameerah Brown-McMullen, who’s hitting .365.
“It’s a nice thing to have them to kind of lead by example for the next couple of years,” Schuh said. “They already lead the team well now. I can only imagine what they’re going to do as seniors.”
It is indeed a pleasant thought.