TRUST IN HALL: South Jefferson catcher stands tall

Allison Hall often laughed from her catcher position as South Jefferson softball coach Steve Randall sent her the signal for which pitch to call next.

And just as often Randall smiled back, knowing she had already made the call for him.

Such exchanges were symbolic of the amount of trust and effective communication the two built over three seasons together. And it all paid off in a big way this spring for the Spartans.

"I absolutely never thought we'd start 20-0," said Hall, this year's Frontier League All-North MVP. "It turned out to be really special."

Hall, a senior catcher, was the defensive cornerstone of a Spartans' squad that enjoyed its best season ever. They finished the year 22-2, and advanced to the Section 3 Class B-1 final.

Hall was promoted to the varsity squad as a sophomore, immediately took over as starting catcher, and developed into a consistent league all star. This year she was voted a Section 3 Class B all star as well.

Defensive execution was important for South Jefferson because it didn't attack opponents with an overly potent offensive arsenal.

And Hall's teammates usually looked to her for guidance on the field. It made sense because Hall was a part of 54 South Jefferson victories in her career.

"She led all by her actions," Randall said.

Her play on the field did a lot of talking, too.

The veteran leader threw out 12 of 16 would-be base stealers, and allowed just one passed ball. She committed just one error — on a pick-off attempt — while handling the ball more than any of her teammates.

But Randall said Hall's biggest value was her understanding of how to pitch to certain batters.

She bought into the team's philosophy that the strike zone isn't just down the middle of the plate, but rather where a given umpire will call them. So she knew exactly where to set up for every opposing hitter that approached. But Hall wasn't anything if not observant, and it took the better part of roughly four years to gain such knowledge.

Her learning began as an eighth grader when she tagged along on the Spartans' annual trip to the Mudville Tournament.

"She sat right beside me, and listened to everything we said," Randall recalled. "Learning about what pitchers could and couldn't do. It helped her master the mental part."

South Jefferson pitchers Jena LaLone and Katie Murphy combined for an earned run average of 1.157 while pitching to Hall, who didn't falter while adjusting to two different styles.

At the plate she also had an outstanding season, batting .352 with eight doubles and 15 runs batted in.

And Hall never forgot, even though it was so long ago, what it was like to be a rookie. That's why when Randall promoted a group of JV players for sectional play, she was the one of the first to extend a welcoming hand.

Those players thanked Hall at the team's banquet for her courtesy.

"The older girls were always helpful and supportive of me," said Hall, who plans to attend St. John Fisher. "I wanted to be like that. Softball to me has always been a place to make friends."

And a place to beat her coach to the call.

"I can read his mind. That started about mid-last year," she said. "I take it the coaches know a little more about this game than me, so he'd call pitches and I could concentrate on the game. But I could always follow what he was going to do."

Yet, Randall grew to trust his catcher's judgment.

"She'd call them when I wasn't looking. She knew what I was looking for because she had always paid so much attention to what we do in certain situations," the coach said. "Then she'd smile at me because she knew she was right."