One hundred hits is a tough milestone to reach in a high school career.
It takes talent and consistency, and a couple extra playoff games here and there doesn’t hurt either.
That’s what makes Parker Martin’s milestone even more special.
Martin reached 100 career hits two weeks ago against Chestnut Ridge with a home run.
She claims it was very special for her 100th hit to be a home run.
“I was not expecting to hit a home run at all. I was just going up to bat hoping I got any hit,” Martin said. “For it to be my first home run of the season also made it that much better. As soon as I hit the ball, I just knew I finally did it.”
Martin is the first Bellwood softball player to reach 100 hits since Taylor Shildt in 2016, and the fourth player overall to hit the mark. Just as impressive, she achieved the milestone with only one playoff game on her resume.
For Parker, reaching her 100th hit was very refreshing.
“It’s a goal I set for myself a long time ago and to finally achieve that feels amazing and reminds me that my hard work paid off,” she said.
The 100-hit list at B-A includes some program legends: Jaqueline Finn (148, 2012-2015); Emily Nagle (131, 2011-2014: Anna Wolfe (108, 2012-2015); and Shildt (108, 2013-2016). All of those players had deep runs into the postseason, including a District 6 championship run in 2015. To put that into perspective, 16 players have reached 1,000 points for B-A’s girls basketball team while 10 have done it for the boys.
All of those hitters played for Jim Payne. Martin is the first player to get there under Coach Heather Quick. She had nothing but praise for her senior star.
“She is a quiet leader who never asks for attention, yet earns it every time she steps on the field,” Quick said. “Her actions speak louder than anything she could say.”
B-A’s program has seen a consistent rise with Martin on the roster. After some difficult seasons in 2023 (1-16) ands 2024 (4-15), the Lady Devils went 10-9 last season and made the postseason. This year, they are cruising: 16-4 and the No. 2 seed in the upcoming District 6 2A playoffs.
The program’s consistency mirrors Martin’s, who has been a .400 hitter her entire career. As a freshman and sophomore, she batted .404 before jumping to .434 as a junior. This season, Martin is hitting .417 with 25 hits, which is a career high, although she has reached at least 21 hits every season of her career.
Martin states that the girls on her team are very supportive of each other.
“(They) know how to help and pick each other up when it’s needed,” she said. “It’s so much more rewarding when our individual stars are able to contribute to the team winning, because everybody is able to do their job to help the team get to where we are. I truly wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teammates and coaches with all their support.”
Martin’s humble approach to a record few B-A batters have even approached is just one of the things that makes her so valuable to the Lady Devils, Coach Quick said.
“This milestone is the perfect reflection of the work and character she brings to our program,” she said.
B-A will open its playoff run next week hosting Southern Huntingdon.
