BUTLER TWP — Two years ago, all systems were go for Butler varsity softball catcher Makenna Negley.

She made the all-section team as a sophomore and appeared destined for recruitment by a number of college programs the following year.

But the following year — in terms of softball — never came.

When the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out 2020 high school spring sports, Negley lost out on the prime season to showcase her skills.

“That really hurt her,” Butler coach Cait Baxter said. “Makenna is such a polished player. She knows the game. She loves the game.

“Even though she's our catcher, I never send a courtesy runner out for her. Makenna is one of our smartest baserunners.”

Negley admitted to going through some “mental struggles' while unable to play ball last spring.

“I had a hard time dealing with it,” she said. “That was a rough patch. I struggled to figure out what I wanted to do in college.”

When Negley returned to the Golden Tornado for her senior season, she found herself on the field with a number of young, inexperienced players.

“We had to work on fundamentals and basics a lot of time in practice,” she said. “Then we had to play some of the best girls in the WPIAL as our section is very good.

“It got to be frustrating because we could only do so much. I'm behind the plate, Kelsey (Ogin) was pitching her heart out ... It got to be stressful. Our emotions were running all over the place.”

The Golden Tornado won their first game, a 2-0 shutout over New Castle. They dropped their final 16 games, being outscored 179-35.

Negley shined anyway.

Batting third in the lineup, she hit .400, collected seven doubles and drove in nearly half of Butler's runs.

“And that was while teams often tried pitching around her, not giving her any pretty pitches to hit,” Baxter said. “Makenna attacked the ball anyway. She knew a walk wasn';t going to help us.

“She swung and found a way to find the gaps.”

Negley said not seeing many good pitches made her a better hitter.

“It definitely made me more aggressive,” she said. “I learned how to hit bad pitches. That's only going to help me in the future.”

Playing fastpitch softball since age 10, Negley appears to have a future in the sport in college, thanks in large part to Baxter's efforts.

Negley is headed to Clarion University to study medical imaging. She figures to get a walk-on opportunity with the Golden Eagles.

Baxter placed in the PSAC — the same league as Clarion — with Slippery Rock University.

“I know what it takes to play and compete in that league and Makenna has what it takes,” Baxter said. “I talked to the Clarion coach (Lis Fee) about Makenna and she's going to give her a look.

“This girl has four more years to play softball and she deserves that opportunity.”

Negley plays summer softball with the Ohio Outlaws, a team of Division I and II college prospects based out of Canfield. She plays catcher and first base for them.

“Coach Fee is going to come watch some of our games this summer. She wants to see me play before committing to anything and I understand that,” Negley said.

Clarion was 12-22 this spring in Fee's second season, the program's first double-digit win season since 2004. Clarion has lost 245 of its 277 games over the previous eight years.

Should Negley make the team, she will be teammates with Karns City graduate Alyssa Stitt, a sophomore shortstop who hit .290 this spring with just seven strikeouts in 69 at-bats.

“I'll do anything I can to help them win,” Negley said. “Even if it's cheering them on from the bench, catching their pitchers in the bullpen ... I just want to be on the game.”