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04/22/2021 12:00 AMTwo years ago, Magdalena Barthel stormed on the scene by earning All-SCC honors as a freshman catcher with the East Haven softball team. Two years later, Magdalena is back in action for her junior season and wants to continue proving herself as a vital member of the Yellowjackets.
Magdalena started playing softball in the East Haven town league when she was seven. She went on to play travel softball for Joseph Melillo Middle School and a few other travel programs, including her current team, Xtreme Chaos in Stratford. While she had a lot to learn at first, it didn’t take long for Magdalena to realize that softball was a natural fit for her.
“I didn’t really know much. I just kind of learned everything, the basics,” Magdalena says. “When I was nine, I started to really understand it and get better.”
During her first season of travel ball, Magdalena’s team was looking for a catcher. Magdalena decided to give it a try and has been playing the catcher’s position ever since.
“My first year of travel, our catcher got hurt, and they needed someone to step in. They asked me to try it. I just picked it up from there,” says Magdalena. “It feels good. You have control over the whole field.”
In her freshman year, Magdalena joined the East Haven softball team and promptly earned her spot as the starting varsity catcher. Magdalena found the transition to the high school game to be a little intimidating at first, but the veterans on the squad made her feel welcome and more confident competing at the varsity level.
Head Coach Ed Crisafi saw that he had a talented player when Magdalena joined the team as a freshman. Crisafi says that Magdalena made an immediate impact and kept getting better as the season progressed.
“She stepped in as our starting catcher from day one freshman year. She has a great work ethic and is striving to make herself better every day,” Crisafi says of Magdalena. “She led the team in homers, doubles, and RBI to go along with a .424 batting average, all as a freshman.”
In her first season with the Yellowjackets, Magdalena demonstrated that she was going to be a force for years to come. At the end of the season, she was selected to the All-SCC Second Team. Magdalena was surprised when she first heard the news, but receiving that accolade made her feel like all of her hard work had paid off.
On the heels of a great freshman year, Magdalena saw her sophomore season get canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although she couldn’t play for the Easties, Magdalena kept working hard to improve as a softball player. Magdalena worked out with her brother to make sure that she was ready for her next opportunity with the Yellowjackets.
“The whole quarantine, I was practicing, I had a batting cage in my backyard. I would practice with my brother a lot,” says Magdalena. “I just always want to work hard no matter what I’m doing. I put 110 percent in.”
Magdalena got her opportunity when East Haven returned to field for her junior season this spring. She is back in her starting role behind the plate, while batting in the middle of the Yellowjackets’ order. Through her experience in the program, Magdalena says that she’s learned how to stay calm and keep her composure regardless of whether East Haven is winning or losing.
In addition to softball, Magdalena is also a member of East Haven’s girls’ volleyball squad. Magdalena has been on the team since her freshman season and plays outside hitter for the Yellowjackets.
As she continues through her softball career at East Haven, Magdalena’s goals are to keep growing as an athlete and continue helping her team improve. A softball player her whole life, Magdalena feels that it’s an honor to play for the Easties and compete alongside teammates that she’s known for several years.
“It’s an honor. It feels good,” Magdalena says. “Playing for the high school, all of my friends are there. I’ve played with most of them since Little League. We really jell well together and get along. We’re really close. We know each other well.”