The Pennsville Memorial High softball team dropped a heartbreaker to Haddon Township in the semifinal round of the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs last week.
Although the Eagles fell short of their ultimate goal, they still had an excellent season. Pennsville finished 21-5 and won the Tri-County Conference’s Classic Division with a 9-1 mark, one game better than Gloucester Catholic (11-8, 8-2). The Eagles win total is the most in a season for the program since the 2015 season.
That’s a major credit to star junior Kylie Harris, who batted .584 with a staggering 52 hits this spring. She also led the team with 51 runs, 41 RBIs, 15 doubles and six triples, and had 10 stolen bases and an .888 slugging percentage.
Check out Correspondent Brian Tortella’s latest Q&A with Harris:
Tortella: What does it feel like being one of the top hitting juniors in the region?
Harris: It’s an amazing feeling, I didn’t really notice where I stacked up until my mom sent me one of nj.com’s articles.
Tortella: How do you prepare for a big game?
Harris: I have to make sure my hair looks good and that I have my bow in.
Tortella: How old were you when you started playing softball?
Harris: Since I was about 6 or 7.
Tortella: What’s your favorite memory playing softball?
Harris: Hitting a home run in the Little League World Series against Puerto Rico to tie the game.
Tortella: Who has been your biggest inspiration growing up?
Harris: My mom.
Tortella: What do you like most about head coach Beth Jackson?
Harris: She lets us be ourselves and makes the game fun for us.
Tortella: What do you like most about Pennsville High?
Harris: The sports.
Tortella: You have a good shot at breaking the school hits record next year. What does that feel like to you?
Harris: It feels great, especially because the person that holds the record is my hitting coach.
Tortella: What do you believe is the greatest challenge most high school athletes are facing today?
Harris: Mental health and figuring out who they are outside of their sport.
Tortella: How do you balance school work, athletics and social life?
Harris: It’s very hard, especially with me playing sports all year round, but l make it work. School is always my first priority and sports second because my social life is mostly with the girls on the team. When we had practice, it was just like I was hanging out with all my best friends
Tortella: Who’s the most challenging team you’ve ever faced?
Harris: For high school, definitely Audubon and Haddon Township. For travel, probably either Top Gun or Mojo.
Tortella: If you could go back to your freshman year and give yourself some advice, what would you say?
Harris: I would say to not wish away time. It goes by very quickly and to appreciate all the little things.
Tortella: Do you want to play at the next level? If so, what would your ideal college have and what do you plan on majoring in?
Harris: Yes, my main goal is to go and play college ball. My ideal college would have football — I love watching it — and I plan to major in nursing and I’m hoping to minor in sports communication.
Tortella: What’s the best advice someone has ever given to you?
Harris: To have fun and appreciate the time you have with your team because it goes by quickly. But, one of our softball dads would always tell us “Don’t suck.”
Tortella: Who’s your best friend on the team?
Harris: All of them, we are like a big family and I would do anything for these girls.
Tortella: Favorite food?
Harris: Sushi.
Tortella: Favorite pregame snack?
Harris: I always take some of Lily’s (Edwards) food from her lunch box right before the game.
Tortella: Favorite pro sports team?
Harris: Phillies.
Tortella: Favorite artist and song?
Harris: Treaty Oak Revival and favorite song Take Me Home, Country Roads (by John Denver).
Tortella: If you could pick three people to have dinner with who would you choose?
Harris: My pop-pop Jimmy, my pop-pop Andy, and Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty.
