Athletes of the Week: South Softball stars McCutcheon and Wurst

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The South Anchorage Wolverines exhibited both timely hitting and quality pitching during the SAA Alaska Softball State Champions, which helped propel them to back-to-back state titles.

The unfortunate news for the rest of Alaska softball is that two of their best players will be returning next season.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls on this team and they have been able to pull through for us for the season.” Emily McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon just put up video game-like numbers during her junior season, batting .658 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs in 30 games, breaking her own program record for most homers in a season.

“As a hitter, Em is fierce,” South softball head coach Joe White said. “She always waits for her best pitch and I think she is the most walked batter in the state because no one wants to see her hit... Em is one of our captains and she is a team leader, she tries to keep her group inspired and is always cheering them on and off the field.”

As the starting shortstop who never misses an opportunity to flash the leather, McCutcheon is the complete softball player that could lead the Wolverines to a three-peat next year.

“I think it has just taught me how to work hard for things that I want, and for things that I want to be good at you have to work hard for them,” McCutcheon said. “I just put in a lot of time on my off days and I just go and try to hit the ball really hard when I am up there.”

Controlling the game in the pitcher’s circle throughout South’s championship season was freshman Milly Wurst — who proved herself one of the best — rising to the top of the Wolverine’s pitching rotation.

“I was really happy about it, just being a freshman, starting from the bottom at the beginning of the season and people thinking, ‘oh she will probably be just be like our third pitcher or so,’ but I came to the top and now I am one of our starters.” Wurst said.

Throughout the regular season, the freshman phenom posted a 8-2 record with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 89 batters and was in the circle as the Wolverines proved to be the best in state two years straight.

With Milly, her best attribute is her movement, she is able to move the ball and she has a mean change up, when her change up is working, it keeps other teams off balance.” White said. “For Milly, I had no expectations whatsoever because I hadn’t seen her before this year.”

Both play competitive softball in the summer and will look to return next season to make it a three-peat for South Anchorage softball.

“We started her in a few games and she pulled through and we put her against some of the tougher competition in the region and she has done well,” White said. “We are very, very happy and surprised with her performances so far.”

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