Austin Dowd
With one out in the fifth inning and the tying run on third against Florida State this past Saturday, N.C. State softball coach Lisa Navas decided to make a pitching change.
She didn’t call to the bullpen, though. She simply turned to left field and brought in sophomore Megan Dalthorp to replace junior Shaina Ervin and, once again, preserve the victory.
As usual, Dalthorp did just that by striking out two of the next three batters and throwing two more scoreless innings to close the game.
It was the third time in her last four relief appearances that she did not allow a run.
Ervin said Dalthorp’s success has made coming off the mound easier this year.
“When she’s going in for me, I have no doubt that she can do the job,” Ervin said. “I have 100 percent confidence in her.”
But Dalthorp’s recent success should come as no surprise given the tremendous start to her college career.
In her first college start as a freshman, Dalthorp pitched a no-hitter in a 12-0 blowout against George Washington.
Dalthorp said starting with a no-hitter was exhilarating given the level of competition.
“I was really excited about it,” she said. “Mainly because of it being at the college level, and it was my first time out.”
Pitching was her primary role as a freshman, but as a sophomore, Dalthorp has been in the lineup consistently in the outfield and on the mound.
Ervin attributes Dalthorp’s versatility to her superior athletic ability.
“Something that sets her apart from other people on the team is that she is an all-around athlete,” Ervin said. “She plays multiple positions and is doing it very well.”
Navas said the plan from the beginning was to use Dalthorp in various capacities.
“She knew we brought her here to play outfield and pitch for us,” Navas said. “And she really has stepped up this year.”
Ironically, Dalthorp’s softball career began in the outfield at age 10 and then moved to pitcher at age 12 by default.
“When Megan was 10, she played center field,” Megan’s father, Mike Dalthorp, said. “But when she was 12, one of the pitchers went down and I suggested that Megan pitch because of her arm.”
Mike said right away there was something special about his daughter as a pitcher.
“You have pitchers that you can tell are a notch above the rest,” Mike said. “Megan was one of those pitchers. When she came into the game, the batters were scared because Megan threw so hard.”
At age 12, the Beaverton, Ore., native led her team to a runner-up finish in the Little League World Series. It was around that time her coach started talking about scholarships. To her dad, who was an assistant coach at the time, the talk seemed a little premature.
“The other coach was talking about college and scholarships when Megan was 12,” Mike said. “I just laughed about it then. But looking back, I’m not laughing about it anymore.”
She continued to have success as her career progressed. She played on a summer club team in Oregon that won the U-16 Amateur Softball Association national championship; something she said helped her get opportunities.
“When I was 16 years old, it became more serious for me,” Dalthorp said. “We won nationals for our summer club team and that was a pretty big deal because it got my name out there a little better. That’s when I started getting calls and realized I might be able to do something with this.”
Dalthorp said despite the notoriety, her college recruiting process was stressful and no fun.
“[Recruiting] was a very stressful process,” Dalthorp said. “I did not enjoy it. It’s a lot of pressure, with so many different schools trying to say you’re the biggest thing for them, and you don’t know what’s real or if it’s the right place for you.”
Fortunately for the Wolfpack, she chose to come to Raleigh.
After visiting, Dalthorp said the area reminded her of home and that the players made her feel comfortable.
“[Raleigh] itself reminds me a lot of my hometown — especially the weather.” Dalthorp said. “The girls were amazing when I came on my visit. They were easy to get along with, and I just felt more comfortable.”
With her sophomore year coming to an end, Dalthorp has posted a 7-3 record on the mound with 2.14 ERA. She has also homered once and driven in nine runs at the plate.
Dalthorp said as she continues in college she would like to see her role increase.
“This year I’ve taken more initiative and I’ve been more assertive on the mound than I was last year,” Dalthorp said. “I’ve gotten some time to play in the outfield and I’m in the lineup now. But I would like to pitch more — definitely start more.”
Navas said Dalthorp is ready to take on a bigger role now, but there is no rush with the talent State has at the pitcher position.
“We’ve been moving her slowly along,” Navas said. “But she’ll step into a regular role for us. She could do it now. It’s just that Shaina [Ervin] and Abbie [Sims] are pitching exceptionally well right now.”
The team is 40-17 overall and 10-5 in the conference with just eight games remaining on the schedule before the ACC Tournament.
When asked if she was burned out or tired of playing softball after two long college seasons and playing year-round since she was 10, Dalthorp laughed and simply replied, “I love softball. It’s my way of life and I don’t know anything else.”