Petrino’s addition just adds to Fayetteville’s riches
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — Given the fact he teaches history every day before assuming his role as Fayetteville’s softball coach, Jason Shirey might know it was Andrew Jackson who first espoused the notion that the rich tend to get richer.
What Shirey no doubt knows is that when Katie Petrino — yes, that Petrino — joined the Lady Bulldogs, it was a case of a team that already could pitch getting another pitcher.
“She’s a No. 1 [starter ] for most teams in the state,” Shirey said of Petrino, the daughter of Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino and a sophomore who owns a 6-1 record with 1 save and a 2. 23 ERA.
So it goes for top-ranked Fayetteville (27-3 ) as it sets out to defend its Class 7 A state championship this weekend.
When the Lady Bulldogs take the field Saturday, however, junior Amanda Summerford will be in the pitcher’s circle. Summerford is 19-2 this season with a 0. 34 ERA, and the Lady Bulldogs have another sophomore, Camie Bales, who is 2-0 with a 0. 00 ERA.
“It’s just a luxury most teams don’t have,” Shirey said of his pitching staff.
The pitching depth is also one of the reasons Fayetteville is favored to repeat as state champion. Despite the Lady Bulldogs’ impressive record and gaudy numbers, even Shirey admits they have played much of the season with a collective eye on the stretch run.
“I think to a certain extent this year our kids were looking down the road,” Shirey said. “Not in terms of looking past anybody, but it’s one of those things where they’ve grown accustomed to playing late into May and that’s what they want to do.” Summerford has been the workhorse from the get-go, overwhelming opponents while Fayetteville’s offense smacks them senseless.
“Amanda’s game is obviously the power game,” Shirey said. “She’s going to come after people, she’s going to throw hard. She’s developed a little bit more of an off-speed pitch this year, so that’s helped, but she’s just going to come after people.” Petrino can light up the radar guns, too, but has a more varied approach.
“She can work corners with softer pitches, curveballs and screwballs and stuff like that, and she’s got a good changeup when it works,” Shirey said. “They really complement each other.” When Petrino isn’t pitching, she’s usually plays second base, solidifying an already stout defense.
“She’s a tremendous athlete, and she makes our infield solid because she’s able to go side to side so well, covering ground at second base,” Shirey said. “It just makes us a much better team defensively when she’s able to cover that much space.” Petrino said she endured some of the pains any teenager would experience changing schools in the middle of an academic year, but the Lady Bulldogs have served as a second family of sorts.
“It was kind of hard at first, but after I made some friends it was easy,” Petrino said. “Softball helped a lot because you get close to people on the team.” The Lady Bulldogs have been more than happy to embrace their new teammate.
“She has brought a lot to the team — her bat, her defense,” Summerford said. “She’s a vacuum cleaner at second base, and she can also get in the pitcher’s circle and dominate people.
“ It’s a relief to have that this year going into the state tournament. It’s a big thing off my shoulders.” Sounds like the rich have gotten richer.
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