Her expression never changes.
Bella Dickinson can hit a home run or fly out, can strike out a batter or give up a hit, and she always has the same calm look on her face.
Scarborough pitcher Bella Dickinson went 14-0 as the Red Storm won their third consecutive Class A state title. John Ewing/Staff Photographer
“She’s a kid who is in total control,” said Tom Griffin, coach of the Scarborough High softball team. “She’s in control of her body, she’s in total control of her emotions. She’s just solid all around, the way she moves, fields, throws the ball. She’s very intelligent and mentally tough. She’s really the complete package.”
Dickinson, a junior pitcher and shortstop for Scarborough’s Class A state championship team, is our choice as the Varsity Maine Player of the Year in softball.
She was 14-0 for the Red Storm, striking out 143 batters in 94 innings with a 1.04 ERA. As Scarborough’s leadoff batter, she hit .463 with 36 RBI, 37 runs scored, six home runs and only two strikeouts in 82 at-bats. She made just one error.
While Dickinson also plays volleyball and basketball (and helped the Red Storm reach the Class AA state championship game in basketball), softball is her favorite sport. “I love all three, but softball is definitely the one by far,” she said. “I think at a young age, maybe 9, I just developed a passion for it.”
That’s when Griffin first noticed her. “Her (pitching) mechanics have been flawless since she was 9,” he said. “That’s kind of crazy.”
Dickinson has verbally committed to play at Southern New Hampshire University, an NCAA Division II school in Manchester. She said she’s been recruited as a shortstop and that’s fine with her. As good as she is in the pitching circle, using her fastball and devastating change-up, she loves being in the field.
Dickinson played her best in the biggest games this spring. In the Class A South final, she went 3 for 4 with three runs and an RBI while allowing just one hit after the second inning in an 8-4 win over Thornton Academy. In the 11-1 win over Skowhegan in the Class A state title game, she pitched a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts and drove in the first three runs with a second-inning triple.
“She’s always a kid who comes through in big games,” said Griffin. “She never has a bad game. She might have a couple of tough first at-bats, but then she figures things out and makes an adjustment.”
Noble Coach Rick Melanson said Dickinson’s competitive nature is also a factor in her success. “I thought this would be the year we tested Scarborough’s defense, but Bella didn’t allow this to happen,” he said. “She loves to compete.”
The Red Storm have won 60 consecutive games, but Dickinson said she doesn’t feel any pressure to keep the streak alive.
“I’ve learned to handle pressure,” she said. “By playing three sports, and especially playing in the state game in basketball, it’s helped me get past the whole pressure part of the game. And I think my teammates have been really good at trying to calm me down. If they’re calm, I’m calm. And if I’m relaxed, they’re relaxed. It’s a win-win situation.”
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