Vicenza's Megan Buffington throws a runner out at first base Saturday, May 24, 2014, in the DODDS-Europe Division II championship game at Ramstein, Germany. Vicenza defeated Naples 10-2. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany – Sometimes student athletes distinguish themselves with one great game or one solid season. Sometimes, as is the case with Vicenza’s Megan Buffington, they are so dominant that others can’t help take notice.
Buffington’s Cougars tore through the European softball finals, outscoring opponents 60-6 on their way to their second consecutive Division II title. In that tournament, Buffington pitched in every single game and was the major factor in the Cougars holding their five opponents to a measly six runs.
“We definitely worked hard to get here,” Buffington said. “We’re always working 110 percent at every practice and it all just came together.”
Vicenza’s head coach Julie McClellan said Buffington’s stellar performance was nothing out of the ordinary – at least for her - and the Cougars are counting on her to do it again next year, anchoring a team that will be losing some key players.
“We’re so grateful to have her,” McClellan said. “We just count on her bringing it, and she always does.”
Buffington, a junior, pitched in 75 out of the 86 innings the Cougars played this year, and struck out 135 batters – 40 percent of the hitters she faced. She tallied 13 wins against only two losses. Her bat was almost as dominant as her arm. She had a .387 batting average, with six home runs and three triples and an .822 on base percentage.
“Every single year she’s gotten stronger, not just with pitching, but with batting also,” McClellan said. “Her swing is stronger, her arm is stronger when she’s pitching and we know she’s going to continue to do that throughout next year.”
Buffington said that dedication to improving her game has led to her fitting softball into her schedule whenever possible. She’s played for the Italian Palladio softball club, played on several Veneto teams, and has played in tournaments in the U.S., Italy, Spain, Malta, Germany and Croatia. This year, she was also the top pitcher for the Italian club Castelfranco, a part of the Italian softball league.
Even though she has also lettered in volleyball and spends summers teaching children how to swim, Buffington said softball is the nucleus of her life.
“Softball is my favorite thing,” she said. “I’ve been playing it since I could walk and I just never stopped. I love it.”
Her Vicenza coaches say that love of the game has spread amongst her teammates, as Buffington continues to improve the game around her.
“She’s always interested in helping all of her other teammates,” McClellan said. “So pretty much we had to rework out entire infield because we lost a lot of players and she showed she’s not just interested in herself, but she always wants to help the other players. She really stepped up as a mentor. It’s like having an extra coach.”
As her junior year winds down, Buffington is already looking ahead toward the future. She said she plans on attending as many summer softball camps as possible to improve her skillset, and she is in the early stages of picking a college to pitch for. But for now, Vicenza will get to keep their hometown hero for one more year, and nobody is more thankful for that than her coaches.
“It’s not that we take her for granted, it’s that we appreciate her and all of the work she does,” McClellan said.
