By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore sophomore pitcher Rachel Walsh is not only excelling this season for the Lady Bucks on the mound, but also at the plate.

Daughter of Kevin and Michele Walsh, Rachel has a 7-2 record on the mound and sparkling 1.75 ERA at press time..

Last month she recorded her 200th career strikeout against Riverside. She has 236 career strikeouts at press time.

A total of 144 of those strikeouts came in her freshman year when she won nine games and had a 3.59 ERA.

The sophomore standout batted .405 with three homers last season. She also plays first base.

Rachel at press time is batting .520, with a .625 on base percentage, one homer, five doubles, 13 hits, 13 runs scored, 17 RBIs and an .840 slugging percentage.

The highly-talented sophomore attributes her strong improvement on the mound this season to a lot of hard work. “I really put a lot of work into my pitching in the fall and winter months,” she said. “I did my job as a freshman, but knew there was room for improvement. I set some goals to get better. The hard work is paying off for me.”

She talked about what it takes to excel on the mound. “You need to put in long hours and put the time and effort in. You need motivation and determination to be one of the best.”

Rachel said veteran Dunmore softball coach Ryan Ferguson taught her a lot. “He always tells me to never get down on myself. Everything will be okay in the end. One bad game won’t hurt you. You can bounce back.”

Well-versed and multi-talented, Rachel is also a two-year member of the Dunmore Lady Bucks basketball team where she was part of a state championship as a freshman. She is also a member of the bowling club, French Club and Art Club.

Rachel has an impressive 4.0 academic average. Her favorite subject is math.

The Dunmore softball team finished 9-12 last season, but this year is 7-2 at press time.

Rachel talked about the team’s improvement. “We all stay positive. Everyone has high hopes. We practice longer and harder. We’ve become more consistent with our hitting and it is showing. We also have two freshmen on the team, Emily McGowan and Paige Ancherani, who are contributing a lot to our success. Both are great outfielders and can really hit. Emily also plays first base.”

Well-spoken and enthusiastic, Rachel said she would like to play softball and study engineering in college. She would like to become an architectural or mechanical engineer and is considering Penn State among others.

The sophomore student-athlete enjoys listening to music in her spare time. She would like to see country singer Morgan Wallen in concert.

Determined and focused, Rachel said she is making the most of her experience at Dunmore.

“I love Dunmore,” she said. “It’s a small and close-knit town. Everyone is so supportive both in the town and at school. I am very fortunate to grow up in a small town. I love playing for the Dunmore Lady Bucks softball team. We have a really good team. I love our coaching staff and teammates.

“We had some tough times in my freshman year, but our softball team is really improved now. We hope it continues and are working hard as a group so that it does. We expect great years ahead.”

Rachel also praised her parents. “They tell me I can do anything I set my mind to. And no matter what, they will always be by my side. I have their never ending support.”