After struggling in her first year in the circle, the four-year…
Wally Hausdorf has coached softball at Bryant and never has he seen a player make more of an improvement from one year to the next than TimesLedger PSAL Player of the Year Ally Stamatiades.
After struggling in her first year in the circle, the four-year starter was spectacular for the Owls this season, going 25-4 with a 1.27 earned run average with 271 strikeouts in 192 innings.
“From last year to this year she’s really blossomed,” Hausdorf said of Stamatiades. “Anything that she did and accomplished is what her heart wanted.”
Stamatiades, who started at third base as a freshman and in right field as a sophomore, struggled with her control as a junior. She went 12-13 with a 4.43 ERA and walked 204 in 147 innings.
Stamatiades’ thirst to improve brought her to a pitching coach during the summer, when she spent countless hours preparing for her senior season.
Her transformation was evident almost immediately. She struck out 10 and allowed just a pair of infield hits in the sixth inning to lead Bryant to a 3-1 win over perennial powerhouse Bayside in April.
“She did a phenomenal job. You could see she had a very live arm,” Bayside coach Steve Piorkowski said after the game. “The whole key was getting strikeouts. … With control comes confidence.”
Stamatiades, who is heading to St. Francis College in the fall, was also a standout basketball player at Bryant. She also could be the first player in the history of sports to turn both a triple play (as a freshman third baseman) and record a quadruple-double on the basketball court.
“I’ve had others change positions and do well, but she’s definitely the most improved pitcher,” Hausdorf said. “Ally’s just a great athlete.”
