Winner of ballgirl balloting named

The Phillies newest ballgirl, chosen by online ballot, has a lot on the ball.

Fans had videos to watch for each of five finalists, and after 66,000 votes were cast, Wayne's Kami Mattioli, 20, was chosen.

Perhaps the junior criminal justice major at Temple University won because her video shows her deftly fielding a series of tough questions:

Interviewer: If a pitcher throws a strike three swinging at a batter and it bounces, what can the runner then do?

Mattioli: "Run to first base."

Interviewer: "And he can be safe?"

Mattioli: "If he makes it there before the throw does, or if he doesn't get tagged."

Interviewer: "In what situation does that not work - he's automatically out?"

Mattioli: "If there is a runner on first base."

Seems as if fans, selecting a ballgirl for the first time, took the task seriously.

At Radnor High, Mattioli played varsity shortstop all four years, and was the captain junior and senior years.

She even finished second when she was about 12 in an Acme-sponsored hitting contest at Veterans Stadium.

"I am so excited," she said. "... I think it's going to be awesome to say, hey, I was a Phillies ballgirl."

At first, she was skeptical about the contest.

Then a Facebook group was followed by mass emailings by the district attorney's office, where she's been interning, and the companies of family and friends.

"It got to the point where people were stopping me on the street and asking me if I was going for ballgirl," she said. "It was a little bit weird at first."

Her first name, by the way, means "spirit of all living things in Japanese" - even though no one in her family is Japanese.

"My parents really liked the name," she said.

"I would definitely like to do the voting process again," said Michele DeVicaris, the team's manager of community and charity events. "All of the candidates seemed to have fun with it and 66,000 votes were cast so I consider that a success."

Mattioli joins 10 other new squad members named earlier this month. They are:

Patti Basenfelder of Shamong, N.J., a graduate of Villanova.

Kristina Brenner of Vineland, N.J., a Rowan University grad.

Brittany Coleman of Dresher, a student at West Chester University.

Bonnie Cruice of Wayne, a graduate of Bob Jones University.

Katelyn Klinger of Hatfield, a Kutztown University student.

Bridgette McMahon of Sicklerville, a Rowan student.

Victoria Musselman of Honey Brook, Pa., an Immaculata University grad.

Emily Pagnotta of Medford, an Arcadia University student.

Jess Rosencranz of Milford Square, Pa., a Penn State student.

Becca Williams of Pipersville, Pa., another Kutztown student.

Eight or so returnees will be named next month, DeVicaris said.