Del Norte softball player Brooklyn Giaime its she’s a perfectionist.
So, while others might be impressed with numbers like a 5-1 pitching record with a 1.38 ERA including 41 strikeouts in 45.2 innings against eight walks, she feels she can do better.
Or her .487 batting average that includes 14 RBI, a pair of home runs with just six strikeouts leading to a .545 on-base percentage, .744 slugging average and 1.289 OPS, there is always room for improvement.
While she’s a dominant pitcher, a terror at the plate and has committed just one error in the field where she also plays first base, the junior its she prefers to be in the circle.
“You have more control of the game as a pitcher,” said Giaime, daughter of Nighthawks assistant principal Mike Giaime. “You dictate what happens, you’re in the spotlight. It’s personal, you’re more engaged.
“Sure, there is a little bit of pressure. Yes, there are a lot of eyes on you and it’s all up to you where you put the pitch. But I have a great defense behind me which makes the job easier.”
Mind you, Giaime has been playing softball since she was a 4-year-old, first in T-Ball but also practicing whenever possible with her older sister Emma, a junior at USD.
It’s all second nature now, but as a perfectionist for the Nighthawks who stood 9-6-1 entering Palomar League action this week, she still works at her trade while maintaining a 4.2 GPA with only “A” grades.
“I look at film and stats of our next opponent,” said the 17-year-old, who is one of the team captains. “I’ll see which pitches — a rise, a drop, inside, outside, slow, fast — work and which pitches don’t. They study me to find a weakness and I try to get an edge on them.
“Even warming up, I’ll study their swing as batters. In the game its important to get ahead in the count.”
Attention to detail is one of the things that coach Keith Carden says sets Giaime apart.
“She has really elevated her game from last year, especially her mental aspect,” said Carden. “As a batter, the other team knows they have to try to get her out.
“She has so much confidence at the plate and while she leads the team in RBI, home runs and doubles, she’s also No. 1 on infield hits. She is all-out hustle. She’s a clutch hitter, which is why she bats third.”
What about as a pitcher?
“She’s good at both (pitching and hitting) and it isn’t very often you get a three-tool player who is also an excellent first baseman. She is not one dimensional like so many players. She just loves the game.
“As a pitcher she has confidence and control. A lot of her strikeouts are from control, and she moves the ball around to keep batters off-balance. She’s the kind of pitcher who keeps the batters guessing. It’s that mental aspect.
“She leads by example.”
Last year Giaime used all those tools to help Del Norte finish second in the section to league rival Poway before advancing to the Southern California Regional playoffs where the Nighthawks ran out of gas in the championship game against Murrieta Mesa, 8-2.
“I’m a family person and being on this team is like family,” said Giaime, whose sophomore cousin, Ava, is also a major contributor to the team. “Just being with these girls is fun and we’ve had team dinners as well as being honored by the ASB at a “Feed the Flock” game. That was special and we had a big crowd.
“Like everyone else, we want to win the Palomar League, the section championship and state (SoCal). I was proud of the team getting to the finals last year, and we know what it’ll take to do it again. I’ll just do my best to make it happen.”
