By Steve Svetovich
Dunmore senior second baseman Allie Dempsey was a steady performer all season for the Lady Bucks.
The scrappy second baseman was the glue to a strong infield that helped lead Dunmore to a 12-9 record despite a loss to Holy Cross in the district semifinal contest.
Daughter of Jack and Jenny Dempsey, Allie hit .304, with 21 hits, six doubles, 12 runs and 14 RBIs for the Lady Bucks this season. She also performed consistently defensively at second base and was a leader on the team.
Well-versed, Allie has been a four-year member of the Dunmore softball team. She was also a four-year member of Dunmore’s basketball and volleyball teams. She was a varsity cheerleading captain, president of the TACT Club, vice president of the National Honor Society, editor in chief of the school yearbook and member of the French Club.
Allie played guard on the basketball team and was a setter on the volleyball team.
Well-spoken and articulate, she has a 3.8 academic average. Her best subjects are English and History.
The senior student-athlete will study criminology at Penn State next year. She has hopes of attending law school and becoming a youth advocate attorney in the future.
Allie was a member of the Dunmore Lady Bucks basketball state championship team last season.
“That was just crazy,” she said. “It was a perfect season.
“It was an example of how great a community Dunmore is. It was just so intense. We had the whole community behind us. It was so special to celebrate with the entire community when we got home.”
Allie had a hit in Dunmore’s 8-2 win over Montrose, on Monday, May 20, in the District 2 Class 2A opener. However, Dunmore lost to Holy Cross, 11-0, on Wednesday, May 22, in the District 2 Class 2A semifinal. Ava Schmidt of Holy Cross pitched five no-hit innings against Dunmore.
Sophomore Rachel Walsh was the winning pitcher in her complete game win over Montrose. Senior catcher Tristan Canavan homered and drove in two runs for Dunmore.
“Rachel Walsh has been a big factor to our success this year,” said Allie. “She has come a long way since her freshman year when she also made a big impact. And Tristan Canavan had such a huge year hitting and catching for us.
“This team really came along well. We’ve been playing together for a long time. We were very young when starting out together. That’s why we’ve had so much success.”
Multi-talented and hard-working, Allie credits her junior high softball coaches for her development. “Colleen Ross and her husband Paul, and assistant coach Jerry Dempsey taught me so much. They taught me all the little things about the game. All of that helped me so much on the varsity level. They made me better.”
Allie said her parents are strong supporters. “They were both athletes, so they taught me how playing sports teaches you so many good qualities. They taught me about sports and the community. You learn things that go beyond sports. They also taught me it is very important to focus on education, the classroom, and activities.”
The energetic senior said Dunmore softball coach Ryan Ferguson taught her many good qualities.
“He taught me to be a good teammate and lead others by example. He taught me to take a step back and regroup when things get bad.”
Allie enjoys listening to music in her spare time and would like to see Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo in concert.
As she approaches graduation, Allie spoke fondly of her student-athlete experiences at Dunmore.
“It’s been a great experience,” she said. “The way I was able to maximize the high school experience was to play all different roles in three different sports. I was a bigger factor in some roles and a smaller factor in others, but I was a part of it all.
“It all helped me become a leader. I made strong friendships that will last my entire life.
“Dunmore is just such a great community. The community always rallies around us. What a great high school experience this has been.”