Makaela Pippins was the starting pitcher for the softball team. As an eighth grader, she pitched the entire season—about every game. “It was fun but hard because I had to pitch a lot,” Makaela exclaimed. Makaela pitched multiple shutout games and had an amazing record for the most strikeouts. She pitched hundreds of pitches all season. Makaela is a competitive and outgoing pitcher.
Makaela had things that got her down and things that got her pumped up. She would listen to rap music on the way to her games, and her team would cheer her on to keep going. She had a great season and did her best. She gave every pitch 110 percent and never gave up, no matter how tough things got.
She loved pitching, and this was her second year playing softball at Lincoln. What made Makaela such a good pitcher was that she had about four pitches that she used in a game. She had a drop ball, curveball, change-up, and would sometimes use a screwball. Her fastball pitching speed was about 45–50 mph, and her change-up was 30–35 mph. Her average strikeouts for the season were 70, and she played in 97 innings. Makaela ended the season with 1,560 pitches.
“I feel good and confident going into high school softball because I’ve been working hard on my speed and pitches,” Makaela exclaimed. She cannot wait to try out. “I am nervous about all the different pitchers trying out as well, and that will be a challenge,” Makaela exclaimed. Overall, Makaela is excited and up for every challenge coming her way in high school.
