'She's like my best friend': Hammerschmidt sisters loved sharing the field for Rootstown

ROOTSTOWN — After a big-time win over Mogadore, Rootstown senior catcher Natalie Hammerschmidt teared up a bit.

No, she wasn't tearing up about beating the Wildcats. She was tearing up about the chance to play softball with her younger sister, Kaitlyn.

That, and perhaps a touch of senioritis.

Both Hammerschmidt sisters were fixtures the past two years, Natalie at catcher and Kaitlyn at third base. Both were also threatening hitters at the plate.

But, beyond that, both were just thrilled to take the field together.

"It's been amazing," Natalie Hammerschmidt said. "I have been waiting since my junior year for her to play with me. She's like my best friend, and these couple years playing with her, it's just been so fun, and I knew she was going to be a rock on this team and help us out, and she has been."

Kaitlyn, Natalie Hammerschmidt spring from softball family

The Hammerschmidt sisters were seemingly destined for the softball field. Both their mom and aunt were standout players at Springfield High School with their mom, Liz, going on to play at Kent State.

Softball was always a part of their lives, helped by the fact that Liz is still involved in the game, including umpiring the 2021 College World Series.

"We've just been around it all our lives growing up," Natalie Hammerschmidt said. "And I'm really glad it stuck with us, and I hope it keeps going."

The senior said her softball career began with a suggestion from mom but quickly turned into something that she loved as well.

"Mom really was, like, 'Let's try and sign them up,'" Natalie Hammerschmidt said. "But after a couple of practices, we're, like, 'Mom, we really like this.'"

"We've always played together," Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt added. "Like, on the same team if we could."

Natalie Hammerschmidt's softball career was no surprise, given her mom's passion for the sport. So Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt's softball career was really anything but a surprise. She recalled watching her older sister play and decided she needed to be out there as well.

"Just like watching Natalie play and looking at how much, like, fun it was and my mom doing all this stuff umpiring, I thought it was really cool," Hammerschmidt said. "So it just made me want to play it."

Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt's quick adjustment to varsity

Playing as a freshman can be intimidating.

Fortunately for Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt, her freshman season was made easier by the fact that her older sister was right there.

"It's been great just knowing that I have someone to talk to and someone to support me on varsity," Hammerschmidt said. "[Having] someone I can rely on has been just helpful and I feel like I can trust her whenever I need help."

It didn't hurt that Hammerschmidt was also clearly ready for varsity softball, per Rovers coach Paige Byers.

"She came in day one and she wanted that position and she fought hard for it," Byers said. "Every day in practice, you could tell she was working to get better, and her softball knowledge and speed and arm, it just all came together very nicely for her at third base."

Natalie Hammerschmidt, Shelbie Krieger formed a remarkable battery

If Natalie Hammerschmidt helped Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt adjust to varsity softball, Natalie Hammerschmidt and Shelbie Krieger helped each other back in 2021.

Both were freshmen then. Krieger was throwing flames, one of Portage County's brightest pitching prospects from the moment she took the field, and Hammerschmidt was her trusty backstop from the start.

"Natalie is definitely like my rock," Krieger said. "She's there for me. Like, when I throw balls in the dirt, I know that she's going to get it and she doesn't make me feel bad about it. She picks me up every time."

Together, Hammerschmidt (a Tiffin University commit) and Krieger (a Miami University commit) got better and better, starting at an impressive place and continuing to add layers to their repertoire.

"We've been really working on her accuracy," Hammerschmidt said. "We just work on it together in practice. We're always the last one finishing up because we're working so hard. Her rise ball has been phenomenal, curveball crazy. It's just been helping a lot."

Both will be deeply missed in Rootstown.

Especially by Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt.

"[Natalie] has thoroughly enjoyed playing with her sister," Byers said. "She embraced her, she's taken her under her wing and really helped Kaitlyn come out of her shell, and I think that is what makes her confident [at] third base. She's in there, she's comfortable and she knows how to get the job done."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Natalie, Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt loved sharing the field for Rootstown