LOUISVILLE — It took nearly all of last season before the reborn St. Thomas Aquinas softball program picked up a single win. What a difference a year makes.
The Knights reached double digits in the win column on Thursday, April 23, with a 16-6 victory over Leetonia in six innings. The win improved Aquinas to 10-5 on the year. Not bad for a program that did not field a team for more than two years before head coach Tim Pinter III and a dedicated group of players brought the program back in 2025. Aquinas fought to a 2-16-1 record in that first season back.
“We have a special group of kids here from top to bottom,” Pinter III said. “Our numbers are up this season. The commitment level is up. I wouldn’t want to go through this process with another group of people.”
Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on NFHS Network all year
What has been particularly impressive is the fact that Aquinas has been able to win despite some players having never played the sport prior to last season. That inexperience rarely shows on the field.
“Some had never tried softball before playing with us,” Pinter III said. “One of the great things about this job has been watching the kids fall in love with the game and work hard throughout the year to get better.”
Not all of the players are inexperienced. Senior Annabelle Davies, junior Bella Bacorn and senior Eleana Faulkner are upperclassmen who provided leadership off the field and produced strong performances on it.
That was evident in the victory over Leetonia. Bacorn went 3-for-4 and was a double short of hitting for the cycle and had five RBIs and two runs. Davies crushed a two-run home run. Faulkner was 3-for-3 with a double, two walks, three runs and an RBI. Faulkner also pitched a complete game and struck out five for Aquinas.
“I’m really proud of the season we have had so far,” Bacorn said. “Everybody has worked so hard to get where we are now. I think we came into the year with a great mentality and that has translated to our play on the field. We all put in a lot of work and we internally cracked down on some of the things we felt were holding back our development like players being late to workouts and practice at times last year.”
That is a sentiment Faulkner was quick to agree with as being one of the big reasons for the quick start to the season.
“I really think our commitment level as a team was better during the offseason,” Faulkner said. “Everybody worked hard and we started to develop a bond and a unifying team spirit. It helped us come together.”
Having a player like Davies certainly helps. Her playing career was in doubt after a travel ball injury led to reconstructive knee surgery last year. Complications from the first surgery led to a second surgery on the same knee in the fall. Davies has found a way to fight through the pain and return to play. Her toughness and positive energy has been a key ingredient for Aquinas.
“I think as a team we have done a great job of staying positive throughout the year,” Davies said. “It’s kind of a night-and-day difference from where we were a year ago in that area. I think over the last year we have really started to mesh well. At times, last year was difficult because a lot of us didn’t know each other and we came together late. Now, everybody knows everybody and we all support each other. That helps a lot.”
It’s hard not to notice how close the team is on the field. Players are quick to cheer for each other and laughing can be heard frequently coming from the dugout.
“We have a lot of fun,” Davies said. “We have had some girls out sick or unable to play because of work and we haven’t let that stop us this week. Everybody loves everybody and we truly support each other from the seniors all the way down to the freshman.”
Players are also quick to console each other if something doesn’t go according to plan in the field.
“The closeness we have as a team helps when you are feeling down about something and someone picks you up,” Bacorn said. “The words mean more this year because of the trust we have built in each other.”
It’s part of what has made every game feel special for Aquinas this season.
“We just love playing the game,” Faulkner said. “We have so much fun. We view every game as an opportunity and we are genuinely excited for each chance we have to come out and play.”
Reach Cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com
On X: @chickmanREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: St. Thomas Aquinas softball makes quick progress after hiatus
Reporting by Cliff Hickman, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
