OCEAN CITY — When Bella D’Agostino was a freshman pitcher for the Mainland Mustang softball team, the thought of striking out 500 batters wasn’t in her head — she was just happy to be on the team.
“I was like, ‘I’m here. That’s cool,’” she said, laughing.
By her junior year, however, as her stats were adding up, she started thinking about it, but that goal was looking out of reach late this season as games were running out for the senior.
With help from her teammates, the Mustangs surged into the playoffs and she got the chance to keep pitching. Last Tuesday, May 28, near the start of the South Jersey Group III sectional quarterfinal against Ocean City, she hit the milestone: 500 career strikeouts.
“It’s actually kind of incredible because three games back I was at like 460 and I was like, ‘there’s no way I’m getting to 500.’ It seemed so far,” the beaming pitcher said after the game. “And then we were really persevering these last couple of games and coming out on top and I was just hoping to get there.”
She wanted that for herself and her team.
“When I get those strikeouts, yes, it’s a symbol of how hard I’ve worked and how far I’ve come, but it’s also a symbol of the opportunity my team has given me through these games that we keep winning that give me more chances and more girls to strike out,” D’Agostino said. “It’s really been a great feeling to actually get there because I wasn’t sure that I would.”
D’Agostino also was happy her team came so far after a 3-10 start to the season.
“It is definitely crazy. It was pretty dismal and not looking too good. It was like we’re probably going to be out first or second round,” she said. “I hate to say that’s the way it was looking, but the last couple games we really pushed through and really came together to work as a team. That is key. I think what really brought us together most to win was that sense of teamwork and togetherness we created.”
Her senior year comes to a close later this month. So will her softball career that began in T-ball at age 6.
“I’m not going to know how I’m going to feel before I get there, but if I do shed a tear it’s going to be for my good friend Denver Obermeyer. I’ve had the privilege of playing with her ever since I started playing softball,” she said. “Every team we’ve changed to, every organization change, we’ve done it together and this is going to be our last hurrah. It’s really sad because she’s been the one person I’ve had this whole time.”
“Playing with Bella since we were 7 years old has been nothing but incredible,” Obermeyer said. “We’ve grown so much as players and as friends. It’s just going to be upsetting and sad when we have to stop playing together. Thankfully it wasn’t today. I think she did an amazing job and I wouldn’t want to be on the field with anyone else pitching in the circle.”
After beating Ocean City, the Mustangs topped Cherry Hill West 6-5 to make it to the South Jersey finals as the No. 10 seed in the tournament. That’s where their season came to an end at the hands of No. 1 seed Moorestown. Mainland finished with an 11-13 record.
Through the South Jersey semifinal, D’Agostino had struck out 157 batters in her senior season. Next year she will be studying Italian in the honors program in the science and arts college at Rutgers University.
Congratulazioni, Bella.
– PHOTOS and STORY by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff