by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
As sure as a foolproof math equation, a great team dynamic equals a great softball team, according to Sabre softball player Tonya Paul.
“I like the way our team works together,” she said. “We have great dynamics, a great group of girls. It’s so good to work with them in a sport that’s so much fun to play. Hitting, fielding, pitching. Softball is such an entertaining thing to do. Even during practice, it’s mostly fun stuff to do.”
Paul, the daughter of Deb and Doug Paul of Sartell, is a senior and one of the softball team captains, along with Addy DeMaine, Cami Doman, Julianna Tavale and Lindsey Widvey. She plays first base and is also one of the team’s two pitchers, the other being Riley Trobec.
Recently, the team won games against Willmar and Little Falls with Paul pitching – so well that she didn’t let the opposing teams get any earned runs, thus there was an earned-run average of 0.00 during the two games.
Paul has batted 4-6, with a .667 batting average.
As a little girl, Paul enjoyed playing T-ball in community-education programs, then she joined the Sartell Swarm travel team. In seventh grade, she became a member of school softball teams and has loved it ever since. She was also a member of the swimming program.
The Sartell Sabre girls’ softball team, with head coach Dave Driste, is part of the Central Lakes Conference, one of its eight member teams.
“We play in summer, too, on the Sartell Swarm team, and that team goes to the state tournament no matter what, unlike the 12-member varsity team,” Paul noted. “Most of the members of the Swarm team are also on the varsity team.”
Winning, of course, is always a pleasure.
“Bus rides home are always more fun after we win,” Paul said.
One of Paul’s favorite softball memories is the time the team was playing at state. One by one, the opposing team members hit the ball while Paul was pitching. At one point, there was a solid hit to center field, but the center-fielder quickly caught the ball and sent it hurling to second base where the second-base Saber tagged the runner to second out. So there were two quick outs in that one inning.
“Then I struck out the last person, and we won that game,” Paul said. “That’s a really good memory.”
Pauls’ goal for the season?
“We want to have a winning record, more wins than losses,” she said. “We want to get higher up in the conference than last year and make it to more play-off games than we did last year.”
Paul enjoys science classes. To unwind and relax, she likes to watch movies.
Roster
The Sartell girls’ softball varsity roster, as listed on the Minnesota State High School website, lists the following players: Kami Counter, DeMaine, Courtney Deters, Doman, Emily Driste, Bailey Dumonceaux, Abagail Hieserich, Samantha Lundgren, Marissa Martins, Kayla Nelson, Paul, Tavale, Madaline Tieschafer, Trobec and Widvey.
Tonya Paul steps up to bat during a recent softball game. Paul is pitcher and first-base player for the Sartell Girls’ Softball Team.
