Softball Q&A with Buena's utility player Aysiah Cintron

Aysiah Cintron talks about her personal success on and off the field, and how the Chiefs are stacking up this season

  • Aysiah Cintron talks about approaching a career milestone.

Each week, softball beat writer Trevor Newcomb will discuss a variety of topics with players from Greater Cumberland County. This week he spoke with Buena’s Aysiah Cintron, a junior who plays all over the field for the Chiefs.

QUESTION: You’re approaching 100 hits and, as a junior, that’s pretty impressive. Whenever the accomplishment happens, what will it mean to you?

ANSWER: Being able to do it as a junior is pretty exciting. Know that all of your efforts going towards this, it feels pretty good.

Q: You’re playing all over the field as an infielder, an outfielder and the backup pitcher. How comfortable are you playing somewhere different every day?

A: You kind of get used to it, because you’re all over the place. You just have to be ready wherever (coach Pam Pickett) puts you.

MORE COVERAGE: Q&A with Delsea catcher Madison Kelly

Q: Is there a specific position that you like best?

A: I like third now. I’ve been playing that a lot more. I like when the ball comes faster to you.

Q: Coming in as a freshman a few years ago, did you think getting to 100 hits was possible by your junior year?

A: As a freshman, I was trying to get hits for the team. I didn’t think I was going to be able to get to it as a junior.

Q: You play other sports as well. What do you play, which are your favorite and which are you the best at?

A: I play basketball, soccer and softball. I don’t know which ones I like the best, I think I like them all.

Q: You’re also part of the National Honors Society. How hard is it to balance getting great grades and playing three sports and succeeding in both?

A: Being able to be a straight-A and B student and being able to play sports, it’s hard because you have to balance all the time out. And you have to stay up a lot because softball gets done at 6 p.m. and you go home and do your homework and you’re up until 12 a.m.

Q: Is it stressful trying to balance it all?

A: Yeah, very (with a smile).

Q: Is there a key to the teams success? Is it that you have a head coach who has been around and knows how to win or are you guys just that talented?

A: It’s our practice effort that she (Pickett) makes us go through and it helps us.

Q: How does coach Pickett motivate you guys to practice that hard?

A:  Definitely playing the bigger teams and focusing on beating them so that we can be successful.

Q: Tough game in Wildwood Catholic coming up (Monday). How big would the win be and what would be the bigger accomplishment: the win or you getting your 100th hit?

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A: I think the team win would definitely be more of an accomplishment.

Q: Does it stick in your head how close you are to 100 hits when you step into the batter’s box?

A: I try not to think about it because then it eats you up and you try to get a hit but it kind of stops you from getting it.

Q: Any other personal goals for the rest of the season?

A: Just sticking to less errors in the infield and being able to hit more.