Senior Vanessa and freshman Jayme are teaming up for the first time in their softball careers to mash opposing pitching. Their efforts have helped the Panthers to a 6–3 start in 2017.
Palmyra High School senior Vanessa Livingstone and freshman Jayme Livingstone are almost inseparable.
The sisters are best friends despite the three-year age gap and spend a lot of time together in school and during their free time.
“We hang out all the time,” Vanessa said. “We love Dunkin Donuts iced coffee and we love to drive by the river.”
Despite their closeness, the Livingstone sisters have never played on the same softball team until this season. This spring, Jayme was named to the high school’s varsity softball team, joining Vanessa.
Together, the Livingstone sisters have been crucial to Palmyra’s 6–3 start to the season. Vanessa is hitting above .300 for the third consecutive season and has emerged as a leader for the Panthers, while Jayme has been one of South Jersey’s top freshmen, hitting for better than a .500 average and bashing two home runs in her first eight games.
Finding ways to play the game together
Vanessa and Jayme realize how special the 2017 season is. The two have not been on the same field together before since there is a two-year gap between age groups with the Pal-Riv Hurricanes, the youth program Jayme and Vanessa played for as kids.
However, the age gap hasn’t kept the sisters apart. Vanessa and Jayme have found ways to be together on the softball field. For example, when Jayme was playing in the U10 division for Pal-Riv Hurricanes, Vanessa volunteered as a coach.
Jayme also helped Vanessa, crouching behind the plate as a catcher whenever Vanessa wanted to practice pitching at home.
“I used to catch for Vanessa in the backyard,” Jayme said. “I would always get so scared.”
“She used to hate the bugs,” Vanessa said with a laugh, “so she would always yell at me.”
All of the practice has paid off for both sisters as they have Palmyra on a winning path so far in 2017.
From freshman pitcher to vocal leader
Vanessa knows exactly what her sister is going through as a freshman on varsity. Vanessa also made the varsity team as a freshman in 2014. She spent all of her freshman year and half of her sophomore year pitching for the Panthers before shifting to first base. When the switch happened, Vanessa decided she needed to put a greater focus on her hitting.
“If I’m not in the circle, where I can make a big difference for the team is in the (batter’s) box,” she said.
Vanessa made huge strides at the plate, improving her batting average to .397 in 2016 with five doubles and a triple. Her accomplishments were recognized last June when she was one of 15 players named to the Burlington County Carpenter Cup team.
This season, Vanessa is hitting cleanup and is heating up with the weather. After a slow, 2-for-12 start to the year, Vanessa has boosted her average above .300.
Where Vanessa has made the biggest strides in 2017 is with her leadership. Vanessa is a member of student council at Palmyra High School and has become a leader in the hallways of the school. Head coach Ken Miller said her development as a leader has spilled onto the softball field.
“She’s gotten so much better,” Miller said. “Her leadership in student council has been a big part of that.”
Vanessa will attend Montclair State University next fall. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science and take part in the school’s Student Government Association.
A fabulous freshman season
While Vanessa has continued her solid play in 2017, Jayme has turned heads with her dynamic hitting.
In just her second high school game against Pennsauken Tech on April 7, Jayme went 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored and five RBIs. Jayme homered against Riverside High School on April 14, and her batting average is hovering close to .600 with the season approaching the halfway mark.
“I knew Jayme had a good swing,” Miller said. “I didn’t expect this, though. This has been awesome. This has been great for her, because she’s gaining a lot of confidence.”
Jayme didn’t quite expect this kind of success either. Entering this season, Jayme was pumped to simply learn she made the varsity team.
“When I saw my name on the varsity board, I was so excited,” she said. “I was ready. I have been traveling with my other freshman teammate, Julianna Mackafee, so I have someone who’s going through this with me.”
Jayme has had this success while adjusting to a new spot in the batting order. She is hitting leadoff for the Panthers this season.
“I usually batted four-hole up until this point,” Jayme said. “I know I just need to put the ball into play, get on base and rely on my teammates to get me in.”
Jayme attributes her early season success to her experience playing travel softball
“Being exposed to pitchers that work fast and can move the ball, it prepared me for the pitchers I face now,” Jayme said.
The Panthers have a very senior-heavy team with a few younger players mixed in. Despite the different age groups, Jayme said team chemistry has been really good because of how small of a community Palmyra is.
“The town is so small and tight like a family,” she said. “I knew all of them personally before coming onto the team.”
Building a foundation for this season and beyond
The combination of youth and experience has Palmyra in a strong spot as it tries to defend its 2016 BCSL Independent Division title. The Panthers won five of their first eight games, with their biggest victory coming against Holy Cross High School on April 13. Palmyra scored 11 runs in the seventh inning for a 17–10 win. It was the first time the Panthers have beaten Holy Cross this decade.
“This year, we know we have a team that’s solid defensively and, one through nine, the lineup is solid,” Vanessa said. “We knew this was a team we could beat.”
While Palmyra is focused primarily on this season, Vanessa said the senior class is committed to helping this program become sustainable in the future. The seniors are working with the underclassmen to help them improve their games so the Panthers can have more success later this season and in future years.
“We want to play well now, but we also want the team to keep doing well after we’re gone,” she said.
