H.S. softball: Just a freshman, Haddon Heights' Bordi had an arm up on the competition

Tom McGurk, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·4 min read
2
Haddon Heights freshman Sophia Bordi was the story in softball this season. She struck out 307 batters, pitching the Garnets to conference, sectional, state and TOC titles. She is our Pitcher of the Year for South Jersey.
Haddon Heights freshman Sophia Bordi was the story in softball this season. She struck out 307 batters, pitching the Garnets to conference, sectional, state and TOC titles. She is our Pitcher of the Year for South Jersey.

HADDON HEIGHTS – Just one glimpse at the spin of her breaking pitches or hearing the whizzing sound of her heater, it’s easy to see why Sophia Bordi is so successful in the pitching circle.

But to know the true meaning of Bordi’s dominance is to watch a steady line of opposing hitters go to the plate with a plan, only to return to the dugout three strikes later, often mumbling to themselves, wondering what went wrong.

That scenario played out 307 times this season.

A scary number when you consider Bordi accomplished the phenomenal feat in just 135 innings. And, oh yeah, she’s a freshman.

Armed with high expectations entering scholastic softball, Bordi put together one of the best seasons by a freshman in South Jersey history, pitching the Haddon Heights High School team to conference, sectional, state and Tournament of Champions titles this spring.

For her performances, Bordi has been selected as the South Jersey Pitcher of the Year for Gannett New Jersey.

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“It still hasn’t sunk in for us, I don’t think,” Bordi said a week after tossing a three-hit shutout in the TOC final over Watchung Hills on June 10. “To have such a huge support system from every community that connects to Haddon Heights, it was something really special. And to be able to accomplish what we did as a team, especially for the seniors, it was really an incredible season."

Special doesn’t begin to describe the results Bordi produced in the circle.

Numbers like her 0.57 ERA and 0.525 WHIP to go along with an 18-2 record were impressive enough before getting to the strikeout numbers that are simply off the charts.

Bordi’s 307 strikeouts are believed to be a South Jersey record for a freshman. She posted double-digit strikeouts in 19 of 20 starts (she had nine in the other turn). Her high of 20 came in a no-hitter against Hanover Park in the state final and she struck out 18 or more in seven games.

“(Hitters) just have a tough time picking up the ball,” Haddon Heights head coach Michelle Schlichtig-Hastings said. “Not only is she throwing the ball with high velocity and lots of spins, but her motion hides the ball really well. … It’s not a good mix for a hitter.”

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Schlichtig-Hastings certainly knows something about strikeouts. She holds the single-season (419) and career strikeout (951) records at Haddon Heights, numbers that led the state at the time of her graduation in 2002.

Haddon Heights' Sophia Bordi hoists the trophy after Haddon Heights defeated Watchung Hills, 2-0, in the NJSIAA Softball Tournament of Champions final game played at Ivy Hill Park in Newark on Friday, June 10, 2022.
Haddon Heights' Sophia Bordi hoists the trophy after Haddon Heights defeated Watchung Hills, 2-0, in the NJSIAA Softball Tournament of Champions final game played at Ivy Hill Park in Newark on Friday, June 10, 2022.

Bordi’s first season puts her on target to challenge for the South Jersey record of 1,262 set by Rancocas Valley’s Lisa Sweeney in 2005. Sweeney also pitched a no-hitter in the state final, striking out 18 in the victory.

While Bordi boasts a lighting rod for a right arm, it’s her ability to keep cool when she’s delivering the heat that enables her to find success, according to her coach.

“I’ve never seen an athlete control their emotions the way she does, and that’s at any level,” Schlichtig-Hastings said. “There’s never a point where she looks different, whether that’s high or low, she’s just steady.”

More: Haddon Heights reaches pinnacle of New Jersey scholastic softball with TOC title

Members of the Haddon Heights High School softball team celebrate after Haddon Heights defeated Bordentown, 3-0, in the state Group 2 semifinal softball game played at Bordentown High School on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
Members of the Haddon Heights High School softball team celebrate after Haddon Heights defeated Bordentown, 3-0, in the state Group 2 semifinal softball game played at Bordentown High School on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

Hitters' nightmares won’t be disappearing anytime soon. And they might only get more vivid as Bordi’s game continues to grow.

“I think I can definitely improve on limiting the number of walks,” said Bordi, who only issued 19 (one intentional) for the season. “I didn’t have a lot of walks, but the games I did have walks they were a couple and that’s something I really want to eliminate.”

An ace who can rake, Bordi batted .366 with 30 hits, 27 RBIs and nine home runs becoming one of the best two-way players in the Garden State. In her signature game as a hitter, she homered three times in Heights' sectional final.

Knowing her work ethic and confidence in herself, Bordi’s best is yet to come.

A treat for South Jersey softball fans, but not so much for the hitters who will have to face her for three more years.

Haddon Heights' Sophia Bordi, center, hoists the trophy and celebrates with her teammates after Haddon Heights defeated Hanover Park, 4-0, in the Group 2 softball championship game played at Ivy Hill Park in Newark on Saturday, June 4, 2022.
Haddon Heights' Sophia Bordi, center, hoists the trophy and celebrates with her teammates after Haddon Heights defeated Hanover Park, 4-0, in the Group 2 softball championship game played at Ivy Hill Park in Newark on Saturday, June 4, 2022.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: H.S. softball: Just a freshman, Haddon Heights' Bordi had an arm up on the competition