Central teammates work together

Best friends off the field, Hinegardner and Ebersole do their damage on the diamond

Hinegardner was pitching in a little league game against Ebersole's team. In the last inning, with Ebersole's dad calling balls and strikes behind the plate, runners on base and her team trailing by a run, Ebersole worked to a full count before watching the next pitch go by her.

"My dad called it a strike," Ebersole recalled with a laugh. "I was so angry. I didn't know Brea very well then. I was like 'Oh, I hate this.' I was so mad."

Years later the two have become best friends and work together to make batters across the area feel the same way Ebersole felt on that day.

Ebersole and Hinegardner, The Northern Virginia Daily's Softball Players of the Year, have made a huge impact on Central's program over the last three years -- and they've done it together.

The pair play softball throughout the year, from the school season to summer travel teams to fall ball. They spend their free time away from the diamond together, too, and sometimes their families vacation together.

When they began playing together at the varsity level three years ago, the Central program instantly began to have success. It was at that point that they began to feel a strong connection.

"I think we settled in and got our thing going where we played all summer long," Ebersole said. "She knows my weaknesses so well and I know hers so well, that when we do get in a little bit of a jam I can go out and talk to her, or she can go and call me out and say this isn't working you need to do something different."

Ebersole, a senior, called all of Hinegardner's pitches at the blessing of their coach, Jill Yew. Hinegardner finished her junior season with a 1.95 ERA and 147 strikeouts.

They both agreed the best feeling when they're on the field together is working together to strike out a batter.

"It's like one of the biggest rushes," Ebersole said. "We know that if there's a big batter coming up and there's like two outs, bases loaded we've got to get our job done. I've got to think to myself, 'What pitch is she going to be most successful with? What pitch does she want to throw?' We make a decision and go with it. The biggest rush is like throwing that curveball off the plate, the player swings and we get her out."

As good as the two have been on the field the last three years, they've been equally strong at the plate. This season Hinegardner led the area with a .594 batting average while blasting five homers, 15 RBIs and 12 doubles.

Hinegardner said one key was that her dad, who is an assistant coach, wouldn't let her look at her stats during the season.

"Last year when I found out about my stats I was like, 'Oh, I gotta keep 'em up,'" Hinegardner said. "This year I didn't think about it at all. That helped a lot not knowing what I was going for. I just really focused on just hitting each pitch, one pitch at a time."
Ebersole finished with an area-best seven homers, which complemented her 20 RBIs and .415 batting average.

She hit three homers in the first game of the season.

"It was senior year and I wanted to have a good year, but I really wasn't expecting that good of a start," Ebersole said. "It was a great start. I remember going around the bases one time and I remember coach Yew is like, 'What a great start to your senior year.'"
Hinegardner batted in the third spot, while Ebersole hit clean-up right behind her. The duo proved to be a nightmare for many opposing coaches.

The Falcons had a young squad this season, but started off strong. Halfway through the season the Falcons were in first place in the Northwestern District for the first time in school history.

Ebersole and Hinegardner admitted they were a little worried about the season after the first day of practice. With so many young players, they weren't sure how the season was going to play out.

"I think [the younger players] got comfortable and settled into it," Hinegardner said. "Even though I wasn't a senior I could still kind of tell where they respected me and Ashley as a duo. They respected that. When we were on and focused we were able to get that focus and intensity from them as well."

The Falcons sputtered down the stretch and lost in the Northwestern District tournament quarterfinals to Handley.

It was a tough end to the season, especially for Ebersole. Central's backstop is headed to Emory and Henry in the fall, while Hinegardner still has another year of high school. But with Central's returning talent and the school's drop in classification to Group A, Hinegardner remains optimistic of life without her battery mate.

"I think we're losing some key players, but I also think were gaining some good players as well," Hinegardner said. "I think we'll be fine. Especially going back to single-A. I think that will definitely help and we'll be able to be at the top of that district, too."

But without seeing her best friend crouch behind the plate for each pitch, softball won't be the same for Hinegardner. And the next time Ebersole goes to the mound for quick chat with her pitcher, it will have a different feel without Hinegardner.

Neither player wants to think about playing without the other, and for now they are content to compete for the Shenandoah Valley Mavericks this summer and enjoy their final six weeks together.

One thing neither one wants to think about is being on the field without each other. The pair are still playing together for the Shenandoah Valley Mavericks and are enjoying their final six weeks together.

"I think what's going to be the weirdest thing for me is not catching for her every game," Ebersole said. "I'll be here cheering her on during the season on breaks and stuff. It's not over."