Bilotti's place in North Penn history secure
Sarah Norris couldn't believe her luck. The new Arcadia softball coach was putting together her first recruiting class and things were going well. Then, Norris and the Knights got themselves a steal.
Sarah Norris couldn't believe her luck.
The new Arcadia softball coach was putting together her first recruiting class and things were going well. Then, Norris and the Knights got themselves a steal.
They got Jackie Bilotti.
"I'm still kind of on cloud nine and wondering 'How did this happen?' " Norris said.
Bilotti, a North Penn standout, was the kind of player that wouldn't hesitate before diving off the mound to make a catch. A player that wouldn't avoid a collision if it meant she may be safe.
"I've always been that way. I don't like to lose," Bilotti said. "If I'm going to lose, if I'm going to go down, I'm going to go down fighting."
Not many would have expected that Bilotti, who stands at an unassuming 5-foot-4, to have the kind of career she had. But she leaves as one of the top players ever for a program that has won three state titles.
"Jackie is the best player I've ever coached," North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. "Fielding-wise, hitting-wise, power-wise, RBI-wise, and you can't beat her attitude. Best attitude and leadership I've ever coached.
"The best all-around softball player I've ever coached," the 23-year veteran reiterated. "She would have been the best shortstop or third baseman, too, if we didn't have her pitching."
With 68 career wins, Bilotti is the school record-holder. She also holds the mark for most wins in a season (19), season ERA (1.12) and career ERA (1.78) at North Penn. She was no slouch at the plate either, with a .402 career batting average. She struck out only seven times in four years
"I'm not big enough and strong enough to throw 60 miles per hour like other pitchers in the league," the righthander said. "I'm not going to blow batters away, so I hit my spots. I've always worked on that, not giving the batters anything and staying controlled."
Torresani remembers a basketball game during Bilotti's sophomore season. The Maidens were in the state tournament and down 10 points at halftime. A player that normally came off the bench, Bilotti started the third quarter. She proceeded to scored ten points and North Penn went on to win the game.
Sure, Bilotti is quiet, shy, and modest, but put her in a competitive situation and she's going to give her team the best opportunity to win. And with Bilotti, North Penn usually did just that.
"Her robot mentality. She just kind of goes in, gets the job done," Norris said. "I don't think she knows what it means to have the ball drop in front of her or to just not give it all she has.
"I think she will be able to make an impact right away."
In the quarterfinals of the District 1 Class AAAA tournament last week, the Maidens fell to the defending district champions, Avon Grove. It was a battle of pitching excellence, as Bilotti went toe to toe with last year's pitcher of the year in the state.
It still stings, but she went down fighting.
As if there was ever any doubt.