From dirt to skirt: Abbeville player balances life as pitcher, cheerleader - Index-Journal

March 21, 2019 at 12:08PM

You might find Reghan Steifle on the mound during Abbeville High School softball games or on the field as a cheerleader for the state championship football team.

"It's going from playing in the dirt to wearing skirts," Steifle said of the difference between the two. "It's a lot of fun cheering, but softball is my thing. I'd rather be on the field than on the sideline."

On Wednesday she was balancing time between softball picture day and making it to cheerleading tryouts. Steifle, just a sophomore, pitched a no-hitter last week against Fox Creek.

"It's encouraging," Steifle said of the feat. "It definitely boosts your confidence. But I couldn't have done it without my teammates."

Steifle didn't even realize she had a no-hitter in the works until her father, Eric, an assistant coach with the team, mentioned it late in the game.

"I figured I had a lot of strikeouts, but I didn't know I had a no-hitter until the last inning, and my dad was like, 'You guys stay focused this last inning and you are going to have a no-hitter.' I was like, 'Oh, oh my goodness.' That's a lot of pressure."

But Steifle had two strikeouts and retired the side for the second no-hitter of her career. The other came in eighth grade against Dixie. This is Steifle's third year playing varsity.

During her eighth-grade season, she helped pitch the Panthers to their first region championship since 2011. She has earned all-region and all-state honors.

She had 160 strikeouts during her freshman season last year and already has 60 strikeouts this season. Her talents aren't limited to pitching, as she's batting .462 with several home runs.

But the mound is where she excels the most. Pitching is her first love. She first started playing softball on a rec league team when she was 9. Her babysitter played, and Steifle thought it was something she wanted to try.

"I wasn't that good, but I kept playing and started playing travel ball and just stuck with it," she said.

In the summer, during the off-season, she plays travel ball against some of the region's elite players. Her team has traveled across the Southeast, including to Florida.

"Basically, it gets you opportunities with college coaches," she said.

When she's not playing competitively, she finds other ways to hone her craft.

"I practice a lot," she said. "I would go to pitching camps and pitching lessons a lot."

She said every Sunday, after church, she goes to Erskine College for lessons. She's already drawing interest from colleges, although they aren't allowed to offer her a scholarship until the 11th grade.

"I hope to get to play college softball," she said. "There's not a pro league. If there was, I would love to play my whole life."

What's been the secret to her success on the mound?

"Moving pitches is what's my thing," she said. "I'm not really a speed pitcher. I'm more of a spin pitcher."

A curveball, screwball, dropball and changeup are among her dizzying arsenal.

She said her father and mother, Jami, have been very supportive.

"They do a lot," she said. "They pay for my pitching lessons. They take me all over the place to play softball. They really pushed me, especially my daddy."

Eric said his daughter has come a long way since she was 9 years old.

"She was kind of thrown to the wolves in rec ball." Eric said. "One night — she'd never pitched — we needed a pitcher, and she went out there and did well. We stopped playing rec ball after that and started concentrating on travel ball."

Abbeville head coach Tim Collins said Steifle gets better each year.

"She moves the ball well," Collins said. "The big thing is that she works hard at it. She pitches year-round. She's always taking lessons to improve. She works at her craft."

In addition to softball and cheerleading, Steifle is a Future Farmers of America member and is on the yearbook staff.

Contact staff writer Greg Deal at 864-943-5647 or follow on Twitter @IJDEAL.