North Hills sophomore thrives on both ends of battery

By: Josh Rowntree
Saturday, April 20, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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If Abby Sutton is anything, she’s unselfish.

The North Hills sophomore has spent the first two years of her high school softball career doing anything and everything her team has needed, including changing positions. Twice.

“Abby’s always a team-first kid,” said Indians coach Libby Gasior. “She’s always competitive. She wants what’s best for the team, for sure.

“She’s a really talented pitcher, and it’s rare, but she’s a really talented catcher, too. That was her best chance last year of getting on the field, going behind the plate.”

A year ago, the Indians were led by pitcher Alexa Edmunds, forcing Sutton to move behind the plate and away from the pitcher’s circle. But when Edmunds was lost to an injury before this season, Sutton pounced at the opportunity to move into softball’s most important position, one she was capable of handling.

“We had to find what was going to solve our problem with the injuries,” added Gasior. “She more than earned it. She’s taken that role and fully taken over.”

Sutton certainly has. North Hills started the year 7-2 through April 16, with commanding wins sprinkled throughout. And Sutton, the team’s biggest X-factor, has played a major role.

“My position last year has helped a lot,” she said. “I was more comfortable in that type of (catching) position, but pitching is way different, for sure. My coaches have really helped me. They’ve helped me get comfortable pitching.

“I was definitely nervous at the beginning, because it’s a lot to get into. But I feel a lot more comfortable now.”

In addition to her steadiness and preparation, Sutton’s athleticism has been on display. It’s something that Gasior saw a couple of years ago, when she trained Sutton in CrossFit at a local gym.

“It’s built my strength mentally and physically,” said Sutton. “To get through those workouts, it’s mentally tough and physically tough. I think it’s helped my mentality though, because you just need to get through it. It’s helped me a lot.”

Another figure in Sutton’s growth has been a young player who sleeps just feet away from her each night. Her younger sister, Emma, is a 13-year-old catcher for the middle school team at North Hills.

“We practice all the time and she actually catches,” said Sutton. “We work all the time. I pitch to her and we get in a lot of work together.”

“She’s a tough cookie,” added Gasior of Emma.

Along with the unselfishness of changing positions, Sutton has also grown into a leader — even though she’s only in 10th grade.

“She’s a leader, for sure,” Gasior said. “Last year benefitted her, especially with the bat. She feels comfortable. And that’s a big plus for us because we are young. She just wants to do well and she puts in the hard work.”

“I just really want to pick up my teammates as much as I can,” she said. “With this sport, you can get into your head so easily and you need someone to pick you up. When we’re struggling, you just need someone to step up and help get it back together.”

After being hit hard by graduation last spring, a large group full of underclassmen — like Sutton — have had to step into prominent roles for the Indians. That’s been no problem, according to the sophomore.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “Most of these girls I’ve played with since I was little. So it’s crazy, we’re building this new team and growing together. We’re all in this position. We’re newer and trying to figure it out. But we’re all building well together and we have a good bond.”

Looking at the back half of the season, North Hills is optimistic that as the team gets more experience, it’ll take larger steps. And that it will be able to make up for a disappointing end to last year, when the Indians were stunned by South Fayette in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs.

“We just wanted to forget about that and roll into this season,” Sutton said. “We have a great chemistry starting and we’ve built a ton.

“We’re going game by game and not getting too ahead of ourselves. We’re just staying ready to play, no matter who we’re playing. Staying in the moment really helps us.”

And that veteran mentality is what has Gasior most hopeful about this group. It’s one that’s spread to the rest of the team, as well.

“You can tell by her competitiveness that it’s, ‘What can I do to help this team win?’” Gasior said. “I’d like to say she’s out of the ordinary with the group we have, but we have so many kids like that.”

Tags: North Hills