As pitchers are often credited for the outcome of the game, it is imperative to have a player that can navigate through tough situations.  

This is where sophomore pitcher Kaleigh Crawford has been able to shine and excel. As of May 1, 2025, Crawford ranks inside the top ten in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) in almost every major pitching category, including innings pitched, wins, strikeouts, as well as having the fourth lowest earned run average at 2.49. Along with being a dominant pitcher, Crawford also has the third highest batting average on East at .372, as well as a .471 on base percentage. Crawford attributes her success to her coaches throughout the years, but especially her dad, who was her coach for almost ten years.

“My early coaches instilled in me the fundamentals needed to become great and through the years my following coaches showed me what it was like to have a good work ethic and develop that within myself.”

Crawford has been playing softball since she was four years old and has stayed consistent with her practice and training. Doing this has allowed her to master her form and perform the way she has this season for East. While pure skill and talent are very important, it is just as vital to have the ability to stay calm and collected while in the pitcher’s circle. 

“She also mentally is able to work through the ups and downs that go with being in the circle,” East Varsity Softball interim head coach and Kaleigh’s father, Steve Crawford, told Spark.

Additionally, having a high pitching IQ is very important to being a dominant pitcher. Having the ability to play mind games with the batter will allow the pitcher’s talent to shine even more. 

“Kaleigh throws hard and pairs that with a strong pitching IQ. She understands the game deeply and knows exactly what pitch to throw in different situations,” East JV Softball head coach Annie Wesner told Spark. “She’s tough to hit because she’s always trying to outthink the batter – you can’t step in the box against her without being ready to adjust or else she’ll strike you out.”

Softball is more than just a game, it brings players together and creates some of the strongest bonds that can even travel off of the diamond.

“Many of my closest friends have played with me at some point or are still my teammates,” said Kaleigh. “The team environment of softball is truly what makes it great because at some point the lines between teammate, friend, and sister become blurred and that’s when you get some of your closest friends and best teammates.”

As her father, Steve has also seen Kaleigh grow socially, and create lasting bonds with those she has played with. “For her, there’s a social part of it too, a lot of her friends play softball.  That’s where a lot of them have come from,” said Steve.  

Through her experiences with softball, Kaleigh has not only found life-long friendships, but has also been able to grow as a person. Having strong leadership skills and a veteran-like presence even as a sophomore has empowered her to take charge and lead her team.

“Kaleigh has become more battle-tested as the season has progressed. She has a lot of innings 

under her belt and has learned how to stay composed and lead by example through tough situations and high-pressure moments,” said Wesner. “She has really stepped into a leadership role that I see her staying in her last two years on Varsity.”

These traits have stemmed from the positive influences of past and former teammates, as well as coaches. As a freshman, Kaleigh tallied over one hundred innings for East. Not only the on field experience, but just the time spent around the older players allowed her to grow and mature faster than most other athletes.

“I think the biggest thing was just being one of the youngest players on the team last year, the seniors put their arms around her, got her up to speed, gave her confidence, got [her] there and performed with them,” said Steve.

Along with creating unbreakable bonds and unleashing quality talents, softball has also allowed Kaleigh to unleash her true competitive nature.

“The mix of excitement and nerves while you’re playing is an adrenaline rush that I will never get tired of,” said Kaleigh. “Every game day, the competition ahead is all I can think about because I simply love going out on the field with my team and I love putting everything, every emotion, that I have experienced into playing.”

For all student athletes, the battle of trying to balance school and sports, while also maintaining a social life can definitely be a struggle. Managing school and the rigorous schedule of four to five games per week, practice everyday, and devoting the rest of her time to preparation and recovery can be tough, but Kaleigh has found a way to persevere.

“The hardest part is that most days you simply just do not have enough time in the day to get everything done. The way that I have learned to manage it is to take advantage of every spare moment throughout the day,” said Kaleigh. “If I have a break during a class, I will knock out my homework for another class. Outside of school and softball there really isn’t much time for anything else, until summer.”

At the moment, Kaleigh is focused on finishing the regular season with East and making a run for playoffs in the postseason.

“I think it was four years ago, this program didn’t have a winning record and we hardly had enough players for a JV team. Last year we won districts, and this year we’re looking to run it back and even go farther,” said Wesner.

However, Kaleigh is keeping her long term goals in mind as well.

“My upcoming goals for softball include playing in college. Though, at this moment I am not sure what division I am aiming to play for, a higher level is hopefully in my future,” said Kaleigh.

Steve agrees, and believes that with her talent and high class qualities, she will be able to do whatever she wants.

“I believe she wants to play past high school. So it’s going through high school, it’s going through the summer seasons, going through the recruiting process that as a sophomore, she’s starting to get fairly deep in right now,” said Steve. “As long as she continues to love playing the game, I think she’ll keep playing the game.”