Christopher fitting in with her new Family; In only season with No. 1 Tigers, senior more than just an ace

View Original Article

By Tom Dixon For the Camera
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

BROOMFIELD -- Nothing seems to faze Holy Family's pitcher, not a rough inning when her pitches aren't working, not transferring to a new school her senior year and, apparently, not even a line drive to the head.

"There were only two outs left and then I got hit on the top of the head," Holy Family ace Amy Christopher said. "I went to the hospital, but they said I didn't have a concussion, so that's good."

Christopher is a large part of what's good for Holy Family this season. The 16-1 Tigers head into this week's Class 3A state softball tournament favored to win it all. Holy Family opens state against the winner of a first-round game between Florence and Platte Valley at 10 a.m. Friday at the Aurora Sports Complex.

Christopher still felt dizzy the day after her concussion and had to watch her Tigers suffer their first loss of the season from the sidelines when Holy Family fell to D'Evelyn 3-2 on Oct. 3.

Christopher said it was a tough game to sit out, but she made up for it the next day, slinging nine strikeouts and allowing only two hits in a dominant 10-1 win over Lutheran.

She said she felt good, but wasn't able to completely forget the scare from just two days before.

"I was a little bit scared and I flinched a couple times," Christopher said. "I didn't want to get hit again."

In her game against Eaton on Wednesday she wore a face mask for protection, which she said made her feel a little better.

It looked like she was still getting used to the mask early on, walking three and, in the third inning, throwing three wild pitches that led to Eaton's only run. She recovered well and got a strikeout, one of 10, to get out of the inning without further damage.

She allowed just one hit the rest of the game.

"I just try not to think about it," Christopher said of those tough situations. "I take a breath and think about the next inning and getting outs."

Keeping a cool head under pressure is just one of the things her teammates like about her.

"She's definitely got a very positive attitude," senior outfielder Ciara Clyncke said. "She always pitches great but if she hits a little slump in the game she's always very positive and just really makes sure the team stays up."

Christopher seems as if she's been friends with her teammates for years, even though she's only attended Holy Family since last semester.

"She came second semester last year and all the seniors started hanging out with her. She came and started pitching and there was just no doubt in any of our minds," third baseman Mary Peterson said. "We all trusted her ability."

Christopher played for Monarch last year, where she was 2-2 with a 5.38 ERA. She said she left because she wasn't happy and was having problems with some of the girls on the team.

When asked about what happened she shrugged it off, "I don't have grudges."

She said she is happy she came to Holy Family.

It shows. Christopher has exploded, going 16-0 with a 0.72 ERA this season.

"Actually, I was going to come here when I was a freshman but all my friends went to Monarch, so I just went to Monarch," Christopher said.

She wanted to come to Holy Family because it was a familiar setting.

"I went to a Catholic middle school in California," Christopher said, "so I was used to that Catholic school thing."

Coach Glen Ramos first met his future ace during tryouts this summer.

"What impressed me is that she's a competitor. Whatever we asked her to do she'd step up and do it no questions asked," Ramos said. "It's the old cliché, a total team player."

Team play is a pervasive theme in the Tiger dugout and their chemistry shows in how much fun the girls have outside of softball.

"We have team sleepovers almost every weekend. We're definitely friends outside of softball," senior catcher Caitlin Connelly said. "I think it helps when you have a team with such continuity as our team has. You just know what everyone is going to do and when, and that helps keep everyone relaxed on the field.

"Amy is my best friend and I think that helps with the pitcher-catcher relationship."

Christopher is the third pitcher Connelly has had to develop a relationship with in three years. Their ace Megan McGinnis graduated last year and Sara Baumberger came before McGinnis.

Despite have a different ace the past three years, Holy Family has made a habit out of competing for a state title. Holy Family beat Erie for the first-place trophy in 2006.

Repeating the 2006 success is on everybody's mind at Holy Family, especially after losing to Erie in the title game last year.

Holy Family might have the edge on Erie at state this year. Holy Family beat Erie 8-1 on Sept. 16.

Christopher, just introduced to the rivalry, said that beating Erie was her favorite memory of the season but winning state would be "awesome."

Christopher won't have to do it alone. Holy Family bats have been lighting up the scoreboard all season, led by senior second baseman Lara Mathewson.

Mathewson, an all-stater since her freshman year, batted .672 and drove in 37 runs during the season.

As great as Holy Family's hitting has been, Mathewson acknowledged how important Christopher's role is in winning it all.

"Amy has done a great job," Mathewson said. "She just came in here and she's done what she needed to do for us this year. I'm just glad she came because we need to win state this year."