Austyn Marriage will tell you, she just can’t live without the game of softball.
Marriage is a junior catcher and utility player for Aledo High School and Impact Gold Premier. She also plays shortstop and can play all nine positions.
“The passion that comes with stepping onto the field is irreplaceable. I learn new skills and meet new people all the time, and that’s priceless,” she said.
Marriage has been playing softball for 11 years.
She was unanimously voted team captain on the Aledo junior varsity team last season. She batted a remarkable 0.651 in the spring with a 0.750 on base percentage, three home runs and eight steals.
Marriage continued to excel during the summer for Impact Gold, batting 0.494 with a 0.553 OBP, six homers and 17 stolen bases.
She pitches, but it’s not her primary position. She can throw in the upper 50s and has a strong arm. At the plate, she bats for both contact and power and usually is in the lead off hole. She’s fast and loves to steal, and she always makes sure her teammates feel important.
Marriage said she learned to play with aggression this past summer and to take the first good pitch and drive it somewhere. Marriage can also spot different pitches out of the pitcher’s glove, which helps her steal bases. If the ball is going to hit the dirt or she sees a change up, Marriage is off and running.
She also trusts her defense and arm behind the plate.
Marriage has played in hundreds of games during the past decade, but when asked what her favorite softball memory was, she went to her most recent game with Impact Gold.
“Bases loaded, two outs, the batter at the plate decides the fate of the game. The pitch is called, I set up for the low frame and our pitcher hits the spot beautifully,” she said. “With a little glove action, we get the called third strike. I jump up and hug the pitcher and everyone swarms the middle of the field.
“That energy is what i play for.”
Marriage has two more years with Aledo and select before college.
She definitely wants to play at the next level. College coaches need to know Marriage plays with her heart on her sleeve.
“I’m yelling and ecstatic on the bases after a home run. Even on a single, I’m hyping up my dugout from first base. I love the game and I’m going to show it through my actions,” she said.
Her dreams schools include A&M Corpus Christi, Wichita State, UCLA, North Texas, Texas State and Texas A&M. Her favorite player is Michaela Edenfield from Florida State, who had a team-high 16 home runs last season. Marriage loves her big presence behind the plate, her energy and passion, and feels like she can relate with her.
Off the field, she maintains a high GPA, takes all honor classes and wants to study sports medicine.
Marriage is looking forward to playing varsity at Aledo next season.
“You can expect a lot of offensive production and I intend to be a big producer in that,” she said. “I’m looking forward to stepping up to the varsity level and showing off what I’m capable of doing.”
Aledo has won district the past three seasons and reached the state tournament in 2021 and 2022.
