BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Since the seventh grade, Alyssa Tollini has had one goal.
Play softball in college.
The junior at Brookville High School does whatever she can to help reach that dream.
(Pictured above, Alyssa Tollini/submitted photo)
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She has a pitching coach. She plays on travel teams. She works on her own, honing her craft with the hopes of one day putting on a college uniform and stepping into the circle to face hitters at the next level.
Her attitude: Nothing will stand in her way.
“I got better at pitching around the eighth grade,” Tollini said. “I started pitching more and I realized I really loved it, so I wanted that to be my main focus. Now that I’m getting older, it’s more serious now. I’m more dedicated to working harder to get that goal.”
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As a sophomore this spring, Tollini made a big impact on the Brookville softball team.
In the circle, she was 7-5 for the 7-13 Raiders with a 4.94 ERA. In 72⅓ innings pitched, she struck out 62 and only walked eight, showing control and command of her three pitches: fastball, change-up, and drop ball.
At the plate she was also a force, batting .432 with four doubles, a triple, and 10 RBIs for Brookville.
Tollini is currently working on more pitches to add to her arsenal with the hopes of making her even harder to hit.
“I’ve been working with a pitching coach who has been teaching me,” Tollini said. “I’m going to try to add more (pitches) in the next two years.”
Tollini hopes to add a curveball and the rise ball in the future.
Right now, her change-up has been her out-pitch.
“I could definitely work on it more,” she said. “But it works. I just have to be more consistent with it.”
Tollini also plays volleyball. That sport serves a couple of important purposes for her.
It gives her a nice break from softball and it also keeps her conditioned for when she returns to the diamond.
It also helps her mentally.
“I’m a leader, so I always try to build everyone up,” Tollini said. “Volleyball helps me be more of a leader.”
Tollini is certainly committed. During the summer she hops from tournament to tournament, camp to camp, eager to learn new tricks and new skills to better herself.
“The camps are great because we get to work with the players and coaches up close,” she said. “They are really informative.”
THE TOLLINI FILE
NAME: Alyssa Tollini
SCHOOL: Brookville
YEAR: Sophomore
SPORTS: Volleyball and Softball
2022-23 HIGHLIGHTS: Went 7-5 with a 4.94 ERA in the circle for the Brookville softball team. … Also batted .432
Q: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while playing sports?
A: All sports are a mental sport, so every time you make a mistake, you take that and learn from it. You can’t succeed in the sport without brushing it off and trying to get the next play.
Q: What is your pre-game routine?
A: Before every game I think about the expectations that I need to meet. I always put myself in different situations for the game and think about what needs to be done.
Q: What do you do to handle a loss?
A: I use that game as a learning experience. I reflect on the ups and downs of the game, and I use that loss to motivate me to get the next win.
Q: Is there another athlete who has mentored you and what was the biggest thing he/she taught you?
A: Jordy Frank has coached me on my travel team for softball for the past year. Throughout that year, she has taught me so many new things, but the biggest thing that I have learned from her is to never give up on yourself. No matter how ‘bad’ you think you’re doing during the game, there’s always the next play to look forward to.
Q: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I did gymnastics for 10 years.
Q: What did that experience teach you?
A: It wasn’t competitive gymnastics, but I would work on my skills. I used them for cheer and it helped me with my tumbling when I did cheerleading.
Q: What’s your favorite movie/television show and why?
A: 10 Things I Hate About You. I’ve watched it over 100 times.
Q: If you could be another player for a week, who would you be and why?
A: I would be Division I pitcher NiJaree Canady from Stanford University. She is an outstanding pitcher, which is what I aspire to be in the future. She brings so much energy into every game, play, and pitch. Anyone could tell watching her that she loves the game and puts so much dedication into every pitch.
Brookville Area High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.
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