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Hollis Sturgill’s first word was ‘ball’

Even though being walked intentionally is usually a sign of respect, Hollis Sturgill would prefer to swing the bat.

“She wants to hit,” said Jennifer Sturgill, Hollis’s mother. “And I want her to hit, too. We both get so mad when she’s walked like that.”

Thirteen-year-old Hollis Sturgill, to the best of Mallett Rentals 14U skipper Joe Caltrider’s recollection, has been the only girl to play in the Marietta Bantam Baseball League the last couple of seasons.

“She’s one of the top, well-rounded players in the league,” Caltrider said. “I’ve had a number of other coaches and umpires come up to me and tell me how good she is, too.”

An all-around ballplayer, the 5-foot-6 Sturgill pitches, catches, and can play first base.

“She doesn’t play in the outfield, because she’s not fast enough,” said Jennifer, laughing.

But the younger Sturgill is definitely “fast enough” when she pitches.

“She’s got some pep on her fastball,” Caltrider said.

“She’s a starting pitcher for me, and she’s one of the top pitchers in the league.”

Sturgill’s favorite baseball teams are the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Her favorite player is Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels.

Born and raised in Livermore in the Bay Area of Northern California, Sturgill’s first word was “ball” according to her mother.

“Her older sister Devon was an athlete, and she really got her started playing sports,” Jennifer said. “Devon was also a quarterback on the football team.”

Devon Sturgill ultimately became the third-string QB on the Granada freshman team.

Guess what? Hollis Sturgill also enjoys playing football, and taking center snaps. When she lived in Livermore, she became the first girl seleced to compete in the Granada Little league All-Star game.

Incidentally, her favorite NFL team is the Seattle Seahawks and her favorite player is signal caller Russell Wilson.

Oh, yes, Hollis also plays basketball –with the girls.

“She’s better at football and baseball,” Jennifer said.

A couple of years ago, Jennifer and Hollis moved to Washington County in southeastern Ohio, and currently reside in Warren Township. Jennifer owns Green Acres of Marietta on Front Street.

Last year was Hollis’ first season in the Marietta Bantam League, and her coach was Will Berg.

This past baseball season was an abbreviated one due to the rainy weather. Mallett Rentals only played in five games total of which three were tournament contests.

“The thing about Hollis is that she’s very polite and well-spoken,” Caltrider said. “My son Morgan was on the team in his first year, and he said he learned a lot from Hollis.”

Caltrider paused.

“Hollis is a good teammate, and very helpful,” the coach added. “She’s always there to help anyone out and is a real good leader.”

With the Bantam League season completed, the younger Sturgill will be spending the summer in the Golden State, and is not expected to return to the Mid-Ohio Valley until Aug. 12, according to her mother.

When mother and daughter are reunited, the latter will be enrolled as an eighth-grader at Warren Middle School.

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