Double trouble: Central Valley's Stewart, Weaver paving the way for Warriors

Central Valley is off to one of its hottest starts to a season in recent memory as the Warriors have posted a 7-2 record over their first nine games of the season.

While the team has gotten a wide array of contributions both offensively and defensively, none have been bigger than the contributions made by the junior pitching tandem of Abigale Stewart and Emma Weaver, whose contributions over the first stretch of games for Central Valley have played an integral role in the team’s winning ways through the first month of the season both in the circle and at the plate.

“We are extremely blessed to have two of these types of players on our team,” Central Valley head coach Shannon Sullivan said. “They feed off of one another, push off each other and work hard. You can’t have two better pitchers on the same team because of how hard they work but compete against each other to make both of them better.”

The pair have gotten off to a blazing fast start to their junior campaigns in the circle having the ability to keep the ball in the yard, limit free passes and posting high strikeout numbers.

In six games this season for the Warriors, Sullivan has only gone to Weaver and Stewart in the circle, and for good reason.

After Central Valley’s game against Hopewell on Wednesday, Stewart has pitched 27.2 innings this season allowing 22 runs with 12 walks and three home runs while punching out 35.

Weaver boasts an impressive line as she has thrown 26.1 innings allowing just seven runs on nine hits, 10 walks and two home runs while striking out 53 batters in eight appearances.

As Weaver has found a knack for the strikeout pitch, she commends the work of the coaching staff who has helped her achieve those numbers through the early part of the season.

“A lot of my success in the circle this year has to come from coach Shannon,” Weaver said. “It has helped me out the most so far this season.”

The success of the pitching duo should come as no surprise as the relationship that the two have built has helped them feed off of each other from start to start as they continue to help one another string together quality outings.

When the pair both get a chance to step out into the circle during the same game, the effect that it has on both players is strong due to the relationship that they have with one another.

“When we both pitch during the game, we definitely have a positive effect on each other,” Stewart said. “She keeps me up, I keep her up, whenever one of us is down, we both try to give each other a smile and just pick each other up.”

With the pair working stride for stride with one another, each pitcher brings their own set of skills to the table when it comes to the way they attack their opponents.

This season, Stewart has tended to start a majority of the games and mixes in a variety of different pitches while Weaver has come into close games out games and continues the momentum that Stewart has built during the early stages of the game.

Sullivan seeing the contrast of skills that both pitchers bring to the table has been a key part of the duo’s play this season.

“Abigale brings a different energy when she goes out and pitches,” Sullivan said. “She throws different pitches than Emma when she starts or finishes the game but they both feed off of each other very well. They watch each other pitch, they see what is working with the batters and I think that they do a great job with that. Emma tends to come and close the game for us and just feeds off the energy of the team, keeps the team in the games, brings her best stuff every time and I think both of them working together and as a team collectively has brought us this success so far this season.”

While their numbers in the circle may pop off the charts for the pair, the numbers at the plate have been even more eye-opening as they have solidified themselves as two-way threats when they hit the field.

For Stewart, she has gotten a hit in seven of her team’s first nine contests this season while also recording multi-hit games in three games and is hitting above .400 in 22 at-bats this season.

Weaver has had similar success at the dish as well as she has recorded two three-hit efforts and four multi-hit games this season driving seven runners home and is currently hitting the ball above .300.

Having the ability to also find success in the batter's box is another key piece to the pair’s game that Sullivan believes helps them when they go out to pitch.

“When both girls step into the batter's box, they not only help their team but also help themselves being in the circle and facing batters. It doesn’t make pitching easier for them but it makes it a bit more comfortable to be ahead. They are a double threat, they both can bunt and hit so I think with their ability on both sides of the game can help them contribute to our team's success.”

While Central Valley has found success this season with two-way players, many other teams in the Warriors section do not have that same luxury.

With the use of Stewart and Weaver both in the batter's box and in the circle, it has found a balance that can take off a lot of wear and tear throughout the season and for Sullivan, that is a gift to the team as a whole.

“Having two players that can go both ways offensively and defensively is a gift to this team,” Sullivan said. “Most teams only have one pitcher that has to go seven innings. For us, we split the game where one pitcher goes four innings the other goes three or if they are really grooving, they stay in the full seven innings. But also for them to also come on the offensive side of the ball and produce, it provides the best of both worlds for this team in being a team player.”

Stewart and Weaver look to continue their success on both sides of the ball while Central Valley looks to also continue its winning ways with a slew of section games awaiting them on the horizon.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Double trouble: Central Valley's Stewart, Weaver paving the way for Warriors