Sports
Poised Under Pressure
With unflappable calm and dominant stuff, Jessica Ferri has been a valuable asset to the Tologs
By Charles Rich
Standing inside the small circle in the middle of the all-dirt infield, there’s pressure mounting prior to the delivery of each pitch.
Well, that’s life in the fast-paced slam-bang, live-on-the-razor’s-edge world of high school softball.
While being the ace of the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team, junior Jessica Ferri hasn’t shown signs of breaking down throughout an up-and-down season with the inexperienced Tologs. Flintridge Sacred Heart, vying for a spot in the postseason with a week left in the regular season, will need Ferri to continue coping with the pressure of pitching well in the competitive Mission League.
Should the Tologs qualify for the playoffs for the first time in two years, even more will be asked of Ferri.
An all-league second-team selection last year, Ferri (9-7 with a pair of perfect games) hasn’t shied away from the challenges during the current campaign.
With each pitch, she’s learning — for this year and next.
“There’s a lot of weight that falls on my shoulders, so it’s my job to keep our team in the game,” said Ferri, who has struck out 208 in addition to pitching a perfect game against host Flintridge Prep on March 18. “That can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s one that I can handle.”
Ferri and the Tologs have faced some tough competition throughout the season, including battles against Crescenta Valley, Chaminade and Alemany — all ranked in the top 10 in their respective divisions in the latest CIF poll.
For the Tologs to experience success, they must turn to the right-hander to deliver. She certainly won’t be nervous handling any task at hand.
“She’s the foundation for our success,” first-year Flintridge Sacred Heart Coach Kirk Nishiyama said. “There’s a tremendous trust factor in her because she’s got enough confidence with her knowledge of the game.
“She’s set the precedent for the team. She’s made my job a lot easier.”
In a nutshell, it’s an accurate assessment made by Nishiyama.
He understands that there’s a chance Ferri might pitch a no-hitter, something that’s given the Tologs hope before she’s about to uncork a pitch to start a game. She’s thrown five no-hitters this season.
“I know that I have to be on my game,” said Ferri, who struck out 122 last season. “Sometimes I think that there are probably some games that are harder to concentrate in than others, but I want to be able to be the one who can try and keep everybody in the game.
“I’ve made a lot of changes in my wind up. I used to dip real low in the beginning on my windup, but I realized that’s just a wasted motion. I’ve since worked on working on a longer leg drive and more drills to improve my speed.”
Ferri is glad to handle her share of the workload. She struck out 15 during Flintridge Sacred Heart’s 2-0 league loss to Alemany at the Glendale Sports Complex on Tuesday before whiffing 14 in another home league game Thursday against Harvard-Westlake. It marked the fifth time this season that she’s fanned 15 in a game.
“I think she’s become more confident and relaxed,” said Nishiyama, who coached the school’s cross-country squad to an 11th-place finish in the CIF State Meet Division IV race at Woodward Park in Fresno in November. “You have to realize that there was a lot of pressure for her in the beginning of the year because we only had one returning [position] player coming back.
“She’s learned to trust her teammates [this season], and she’s been solid for us most of the year.”
Reliance from her teammates has made the team bond even more. She’s worked with two catchers in sophomore Meghan Luera and freshman Alanna Pires.
Pires, also a right fielder, recalled catching Ferri against Flintridge Prep.
“It was my first game catching [at Flintridge Sacred Heart] and the first perfect game that I ever caught,” Pires said. “When she got the last out, I didn’t even realize that she had the perfect game.
“It was amazing to be a part of. It’s a totally different experience catching her because she’s so well organized and we feel safe with her out there.”
In a perfect world, Flintridge Sacred Heart would like to make the playoffs once again.
Time is growing short for the Tologs, but there’s still a chance. A victory today against Louisville and Chaminade on Wednesday might put the Tologs into the postseason.
“If we want the chance to make the playoffs, then we need to stay focused and I need to hit my spots,” said Ferri, who helped the Tologs reach the postseason in 2006. “It would be nice to make the playoffs again.”
For now, she’s proven adept at handling the pressure.
Well, that’s life in the fast-paced slam-bang, live-on-the-razor’s-edge world of high school softball.
While being the ace of the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team, junior Jessica Ferri hasn’t shown signs of breaking down throughout an up-and-down season with the inexperienced Tologs. Flintridge Sacred Heart, vying for a spot in the postseason with a week left in the regular season, will need Ferri to continue coping with the pressure of pitching well in the competitive Mission League.
Should the Tologs qualify for the playoffs for the first time in two years, even more will be asked of Ferri.
An all-league second-team selection last year, Ferri (9-7 with a pair of perfect games) hasn’t shied away from the challenges during the current campaign.
With each pitch, she’s learning — for this year and next.
“There’s a lot of weight that falls on my shoulders, so it’s my job to keep our team in the game,” said Ferri, who has struck out 208 in addition to pitching a perfect game against host Flintridge Prep on March 18. “That can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s one that I can handle.”
Ferri and the Tologs have faced some tough competition throughout the season, including battles against Crescenta Valley, Chaminade and Alemany — all ranked in the top 10 in their respective divisions in the latest CIF poll.
For the Tologs to experience success, they must turn to the right-hander to deliver. She certainly won’t be nervous handling any task at hand.
“She’s the foundation for our success,” first-year Flintridge Sacred Heart Coach Kirk Nishiyama said. “There’s a tremendous trust factor in her because she’s got enough confidence with her knowledge of the game.
“She’s set the precedent for the team. She’s made my job a lot easier.”
In a nutshell, it’s an accurate assessment made by Nishiyama.
He understands that there’s a chance Ferri might pitch a no-hitter, something that’s given the Tologs hope before she’s about to uncork a pitch to start a game. She’s thrown five no-hitters this season.
“I know that I have to be on my game,” said Ferri, who struck out 122 last season. “Sometimes I think that there are probably some games that are harder to concentrate in than others, but I want to be able to be the one who can try and keep everybody in the game.
“I’ve made a lot of changes in my wind up. I used to dip real low in the beginning on my windup, but I realized that’s just a wasted motion. I’ve since worked on working on a longer leg drive and more drills to improve my speed.”
Ferri is glad to handle her share of the workload. She struck out 15 during Flintridge Sacred Heart’s 2-0 league loss to Alemany at the Glendale Sports Complex on Tuesday before whiffing 14 in another home league game Thursday against Harvard-Westlake. It marked the fifth time this season that she’s fanned 15 in a game.
“I think she’s become more confident and relaxed,” said Nishiyama, who coached the school’s cross-country squad to an 11th-place finish in the CIF State Meet Division IV race at Woodward Park in Fresno in November. “You have to realize that there was a lot of pressure for her in the beginning of the year because we only had one returning [position] player coming back.
“She’s learned to trust her teammates [this season], and she’s been solid for us most of the year.”
Reliance from her teammates has made the team bond even more. She’s worked with two catchers in sophomore Meghan Luera and freshman Alanna Pires.
Pires, also a right fielder, recalled catching Ferri against Flintridge Prep.
“It was my first game catching [at Flintridge Sacred Heart] and the first perfect game that I ever caught,” Pires said. “When she got the last out, I didn’t even realize that she had the perfect game.
“It was amazing to be a part of. It’s a totally different experience catching her because she’s so well organized and we feel safe with her out there.”
In a perfect world, Flintridge Sacred Heart would like to make the playoffs once again.
Time is growing short for the Tologs, but there’s still a chance. A victory today against Louisville and Chaminade on Wednesday might put the Tologs into the postseason.
“If we want the chance to make the playoffs, then we need to stay focused and I need to hit my spots,” said Ferri, who helped the Tologs reach the postseason in 2006. “It would be nice to make the playoffs again.”
For now, she’s proven adept at handling the pressure.
Copyright © 2008 - Glendale News Press