Natalie Newell and Greg Keim at Newcomer Center.
Photos by Josh Gleason
It was like old times for a star pitcher and a local sports reporter, back together again to talk about softball for a story.
The pitcher, Natalie Newell, a graduate of Goshen High School, and the journalist, Greg Keim of The Goshen News, know each other well from the days when Keim covered Newell as a Redskin.
Newell now pitches for the Bethel College Pilots. As a sophomore this year, she set the strikeout record at Bethel while leading the team to the NAIA National Tournament (where she threw a no-hitter).
As guests of Write on Sports Goshen, Keim and Newell opened their visit with what was billed as a mock interview. But it was closer to an authentic interview since Keim said that he plans to write a column for The Goshen News later in the week based on the interview.
Newell demonstrating several of her pitches.
Then the young journalists of Write on Sports asked questions of the pair, including one question that prompted a disclosure about the serendipitous way that she became a softball player: someone from a local league called Newell’s mother asking whether she would sign up her daughters to fill out the roster. With that call, Newell, who had been a basketball player, also became a softball player.
When all the questions had been asked and answered, everyone headed out to the Goshen College softball field where Newell demonstrated her array of pitches, including a fastball, drop ball, screwball, riser and off-speed. She also showed campers the grip that she uses for each of the pitches.