North Cook News

Division 1 softball is difficult no matter what position you play, but when your specialty is entering the game as a pinch runner, that can be even tougher.

"It's tough to stay locked in, but you have to do it because every 60 feet matters," Abbey Boyd, a junior outfielder for Northwestern's softball team, told the North Cook News. "I like to think about pinch running as an opportunity to win ballgames."

Boyd had a celebrated high school career, helping to lead New Trier high school to three regional titles in her three seasons. She was the team's Outstanding Offensive Player, with a .507 batting average and an .840 slugging percentage that placed her near the top of the school's record books there. At Northwestern, however,  Boyd started out with a more reduced role. In her freshman year, she appeared in 31 games, but 30 of those were as a pinch runner, with one as a pinch hitter. In 2016, her sophomore year, she appeared in 26 games, all as a pinch runner. In her two seasons thus far, she's only recorded one at bat, though she has scored 19 runs.

Boyd has taken to her new role and stays constantly ready to enter the game and help the team.

"Pinch running requires you to be sharp, both mentally and physically, at any and all points of the game," Boyd said. "This means that I'm paying attention to the other team's defense and noticing when they shift or overplay a situation. This means knowing what the pitcher is throwing before you go in, so you're prepared to take advantage of a ball in the dirt or a change up. This means staying loose between every inning and being on time with the pitcher's release."

As a youngster, Boyd wasn't even sure she'd like softball.

"My mom played college softball at Miami University (Ohio), and she's the reason I even tried softball in the first place," Boyd said. "If it weren't for her dragging me to my first park district softball practice, I'd never even be where I am today. Although I'm fairly certain my dad would have jumped on the opportunity to get me to run track, like he did (at Harvard). I'm most thankful that my parents supported me in whatever I wanted to do. This was especially helpful in high school, when everyone else was specializing and picking only one sport to practice year-round, they encouraged me to continue doing what I loved to do, which was play both softball and volleyball. Without that experience, I don't think I'd be the athlete I am today, mentally or physically."

Besides softball, Boyd also has a passion for helping the community. She volunteers at Our Place in New Trier, a foundation for youngsters with developmental disabilities, as well as being a member of the New Trier Power Lifting Club, a weightlifting club with a focus on community service. Boyd credits Northwestern's focus on athletic participation in community service as a benefit of being there.

"Obviously, Division I athletics at a school like Northwestern are slightly more involved and time consuming than high school, but I love how our athletic department emphasizes community service each year," Boyd said. "(Northwestern Athletic Director) Dr. (Jim) Phillips expects 100 percent participation in community outreach from each team every year, and every year, that goal is achieved. The reality is, we've all been very blessed to end up here at Northwestern, playing the sports we love. It's a gift. I think the world loses out on something if we neglect to share that gift with the community, plus it's a great opportunity to grow together as a team."