Success Drop In Bucket Springdale Hopes Pitcher Can Help Return Team To State

Uncertain how she rated with Springdale’s softball team, Hillary Dixon put her faith in a bucket.

Just an ordinary bucket, perhaps, but one that helped convince her she fit in.

During her freshman year, Dixon became concerned that she was, in her words, a terrible pitcher.

So after practice each day, the young pitcher pulled out her trusty bucket at home and practiced tossing into it.

Over time, Dixon became as good a slowpitch hurler as there is in Washington Class B ranks.

The bucket story is vintage Dixon, said coach Jerry Schelling, who claims he wouldn’t trade Dixon for any B pitcher in the state.

“She’s an amazing girl because I thought she’d never pitch,” Schelling said. “She could be so critical of herself, but she overcame putting pressure on herself.”

Dixon (10-1) has pitched the Chargers to the top of the Panorama League, one game ahead of Northport.

After a pair of wins last Saturday, Dixon heads into her final month of high school softball with a career record of 56-15.

Dixon, classmates Kylie Bade, Sara Hendricks and Rae Ann Wood, and juniors Andie Bade, Roni Peone and Wendi Stricker hold a unique place in school sports history. Their 1995 softball team played for the State B title, a first for any Springdale team, Schelling said.

“We were ahead until the fourth inning,” Dixon said of the title game against Adna. “We had a lot of (young) starters, so we knew we’d be back.”

The Chargers also qualified for state last year, but fell short of their goal and settled for sixth place. The problem, Dixon said, was a lack of senior leadership.

“They seemed to have doctor’s appointments every day, or always had to leave early,” Dixon said of the seniors. “It’s kind of sad when the younger group cares more than the older group.”

Springdale (11-2 overall) is ironing out a few wrinkles as it attempts to return to this year’s state tourney in Spokane. A new batch of freshmen is learning to blend in with the veterans.

It helps to have older players with all-around dedication. Wood, with a 3.99 grade-point average, stands to be valedictorian of the 40-member senior class. Dixon ranks fourth at 3.6.

Dixon identifies two reasons for Springdale’s success in softball while the school’s other sports have faltered. Of secondary importance, she said, is the nature of softball: Height doesn’t matter. The Chargers’ tallest player is 5-foot-8.

“But the main thing is our coach is really smart and inspirational,” Dixon said. “Most of it is due to him, because he always has an ace in the hole.”

Schelling claims Dixon is the ace. Three years ago, he showed Dixon a floating, drifting pitch that she has developed into a type of knuckle ball. Dixon also throws a side-arm pitch that appears to head inside but stays in the strike zone.

“I can hit the corners whenever Mr. Schelling tells me, and at what height he wants it,” Dixon said.

Dixon also has hit nearly .500 through the first half of the season.

Dixon, who lives at Loon Lake, plans to attend Spokane Falls Community College in the fall and study computer science.

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