By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— When Alexis Eisenberg signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball at Georgia Gwinnett College on Feb. 3, the pitcher attributed her success to three principles her father always told her.

He told her to make good grades, throw fastballs and love the Lord with all your heart.

“Just do the right things for the right reasons at all times,” Eisenberg said. “I cannot tell you what those three points mean to me. Thank you all for being here.”

Eisenberg has been playing softball since she was 8 years old, when her biological father passed away. Eisenberg laughed, admitting she didn’t know a baseball field had bases when she started. For her, playing softball was an outlet.

This is Eisenberg’s first year at Pelham High School. The senior transferred from Chelsea High School, and Coach Sabrina Tutchtone said she was excited when she got the call announcing Eisenberg would be playing for Pelham.

Tutchtone said she faced Eisenberg when she was a freshman. According to Tutchtone, it was a year Pelham had some hard-hitting players and the team played for the state championship.

Alexis held them to two runs that game.

“My favorite thing about her, having not coached her technically yet, is that she never turns down a challenge,” Tutchtone said. “I’ve seen that already. I’m so proud of you already. I can’t wait to have a history with you on the field.”

Georgia Gwinnett College is located in Gwinnett County, Ga., and Eisenberg said she immediately knew it was the college for her.

“They say that once you are where you want to be, you just know,” she said. “When I pulled up to the campus, didn’t even get out of my dad’s truck, I just looked and I was like, ‘This is where I want to be.’ You get that feeling, and I had that feeling there.”

She said the coaching staff is professional, and they made her feel like family. Eisenberg said she is looking forward to contributing to the team, working hard and have coaches that will push her everyday.

“Playing softball for me has just taught me that change can be good, because when my dad passed away, and I also have a liver disease, softball (has been) my outlet,” she said. “As a pitcher you always have to change something to be good and to beat your opponent. It’s just really taught me that change is good.”