May 09, 2025
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St. Bede notebook: 2019 State team leaves impression for this year’s Bruins

By Kevin Hieronymus
St. Bede's Reagan Stoudt delivers a pitch to Riverdale on Monday, March 20, 2023 at St. Bede Academy.

St. Bede's Reagan Stoudt delivers a pitch to Riverdale on Monday, March 20, 2023 at St. Bede Academy. (Scott Anderson)

This year’s St. Bede players were in middle school when the Bruins softball team last made state in 2019, placing third.

That team left a lasting impression on the current crop of Bruins.

“I just remember going to the game and watching Abbie May throw and saying, “I want to be her,” St. Bede junior pitcher/third baseman Reagan Stoudt said.

Stoudt did a pretty good impression of May, who know pitches for Purdue Northwest University, on Monday, pitching the Bruins to the supersectional victory, striking out eight and allowing five hits.

Her battery mate, catcher Bella Pinter, is awed to have the former Bruins watch them play this season.

“When they went to state last time, Ryann Stoudt, Claire Morrow, all those girls. I used to look up to them so much. To play with all them watching, I’m just so excited. It’s super fun,” she said.

St. Bede's Reagan Stoudt delivers a pitch to Riverdale on Monday, March 20, 2023 at St. Bede Academy.

St. Bede's Reagan Stoudt delivers early this season at the Academy. (Scott Anderson)

Sisters act: Stoudt teamed up with her sister, Ryann, on last year’s St. Bede softball team that came up short on its mission to state, falling in the sectional finals to Biggsville West Central. It was a loss the Bruins avenged in this year’s sectional champional game.

When told her sister said she would like to be playing this year, Reagan joked that “She had her chance.”

Bruins head all-conference team: League champ St. Bede headed up the 2023 Three Rivers East All-Conference softball team with nine selections.

Senior outfielder Addie Bontz, junior pitchers Reagan Stoudt and Ella Hermes, junior infielder Maddy Dalton and freshman utility Ava Balestri were all named to the First Team. Bontz and Stoudt were named unanimously.

Also for St. Bede, junior Bella Pinter (C) and freshman Emma Slingsby (OF) were named to the second team and senior Madelyn Torrance (OF) and junior Tessa Dugosh (OF) received honorable mention.

A look at St. Bede State Tournament appearances:

2013 (2A)

Lost to Tremont, 6-3

Lost to Nashville, 1-0, placed fourth

2019 (1A)

Lost to Illini Bluffs, 5-1

Beat Hardin Calhoun, 2-0, placed third