Not many Fish in sea like Danbury pitcher as senior leads program to new depth
CLYDE - Ellie Fish believes in her dad.
Jim Fish took the helm for Danbury softball two years ago, and his daughter helped the program reach uncharted territory. The Danbury senior wanted others to trust in her in a similar fashion.
The Lakers advanced to district for the first time last season, did it again this year and won a game each time. Danbury (18-11) fell 6-3 to St Joseph Central Catholic in the Division IV final last week.
"At the beginning of last year, we broke through, but I never thought we'd get this far," Ellie said.
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Fish has six lures in her tackle box: fastball, changeup, drop ball, curve, drop curve and screwball. Her velocity reaches 55 mph and dips to Bugs Bunny level with an occasional changeup.
Her ERA was 1.82 as a senior.
"She's a movement pitcher, she pitches to contact," Jim Fish said. "She works hard on her own to develop her movement pitches. That's a big factor. It takes a certain kind of personality to get in the circle and hold up under pressure.
"She knows the fundamentals, but there's something in her that allows her to take on that pressure and thrive."
When Fish was 5, she wasn't afraid to sing or play the guitar in front of 100 people. She knows what a masterpiece should look like.
"You could see that in the circle," Jim Fish said. "She cares, No. 1 about her teammates. No. 2 about the game of softball. No. 3 about winning. She loves the game."
She drove in 27 runs to lead the team.
"She's been a middle of the order hitter," Jim Fish said. "She led the way with the offseason. She's been a big part of the build, a lot of girls have."
Fish was emotional after her final game. Her softball career is over as she heads to Ohio State to study psychology (mental health).
"I'm trying to enjoy the time I have left with my friends," she said.
She didn't take the opportunity to play for her dad for granted.
"He taught me pitching since I was 10," she said. "He's been there for everything from T-ball to high school."
The message that most resonates applies off the diamond as well.
"There's no point in doing something if you're not going to do it right," she said. "For softball, that means play hard."
Fish was a varsity starter from the beginning.
"When I was a freshman, I was scared," she said. "I worked on my confidence. My dad took over as coach my sophomore year, I trust him."
She had an idea she'd play a central role in the circle if Danbury softball was to ascend.
"The program wasn't very good when we moved here," she said. "I started working harder, I knew I had to lead the team. All the hard work to change how people think of softball at our school. It's popular now. I take a lot of pride in softball and how much work I put into it.
"We have hard workers who changed the culture."
When you talk about culture, you talk about work ethic.
"Changing the hard work mentality," Fish said. "We know hard work pays off. It pushes everyone."
It starts when there are no games.
"You have to take the approach, let's have a good, well-organized offseason," Jim Fish said. "You have to generate interest and hold people accountable. I've taken an educational approach; the softball culture at Danbury isn't the same as it is at Oak Harbor or Genoa.
"You win a few games and momentum grows. Youth programs. Social media. You hope to get good athletes and parents. We have. They bought in. When you have to build a culture, it's about teaching and sharing knowledge and working hard."
These Fish were swimming upstream. The Lakers changed the current.
mhorn@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Danbury Lakers OHSAA softball Ellie Fish helps program reach new heights
