GRADE-A CATCHER

The letter A figures prominently in Ashlie D’Errico’s life.

First, there’s her three younger sisters, Angie, Aimee and Abbie.

There’s also her report cards. You won’t see many Bs or Cs there. She has a 4.7 weighted grade-point average, putting her in line to be a valedictorian at Highland High.

On the softball field, D’Errico almost always brings her ‘A’ game.

A four-year starter for the Bulldogs, she has established herself as one of the region’s most dominant catchers.

With D’Errico behind the plate, Highland has advanced beyond the first round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs every season.

The Bulldogs (16-12) travel to Moreno Valley today for a second-round game against Valley View.

D’Errico’s tools and intangibles all grade out the same--almost letter perfect.

* Arm: How respected is D’Errico’s cannon?

Not only did Golden League opponents not steal any bases against her in 10 games this season, no one even tried.

Overall, D’Errico threw out 18 of 21 runners, mostly on pickoffs.

Last Friday, she threw out a runner and picked off another in the Bulldogs’ 4-0 victory over Schurr in a first-round game.

“When a runner gets on, I’m hoping they run on us,” Coach Glenda Potts said. “And if they don’t, I’m hoping they take too big a lead and Ashlie notices. If she does, they’re gone.”

* Ability: D’Errico, The Times’ Valley player of the year and Golden League most valuable player as a junior, has accepted a scholarship to Pacific, an NCAA regional finalist last weekend at Stanford.

With both catchers graduating at Pacific, D’Errico could start next season as a freshman.

* Attitude: Few players in the region are better leaders or more intense competitors.

A .369 hitter with 116 career hits, D’Errico is batting a career-low .291.

D’Errico was batting in the .240s at midseason, not exactly player-of-the-year numbers, and a far cry from the .444 she hit as a sophomore.

The Bulldogs, preseason favorites to win a second consecutive league championship, struggled despite a lineup that featured six seniors, including three Division I-bound players. Pitcher Nichole Rawson has committed to Marist and shortstop Natalie Rawson will play at Colgate.

“There were a lot of high expectations, from others as well as from ourselves,” D’Errico said. “We weren’t meeting those expectations and pressure comes with that. When you fail, there’s a bit of disappointment.”

But D’Errico rallied, leading by example.

“When the offense isn’t there, you have to rely more heavily on defense,” she said. “At least, that was my way. I tried to make a bigger impact defensively, anything to help the team.”

Solid defense led to an improved offense and she helped the Bulldogs climb back into contention for the league championship.

A victory over Quartz Hill in the final week of the season would have secured a share of the league title.

When Highland lost, 2-1, in the ninth inning, D’Errico was clearly disappointed.

But she still flashed her grade-A smile.

She was still playing the game she loved, the one taught to her by her father, Bob, her first coach and the one who helped her become a catcher when she was 11.

Bob D’Errico died in 1996, the victim of asphyxiation by two bouncers outside a Texas bar.

Ashlie tries to pass along his love for the game to Angie, a junior infielder for Highland, as well as Aimee, in the seventh grade, and Abbie, a fourth-grader. Both play softball at Park View Little League.

“My dad is always the core and heart of why I play,” she said. “I try to support [my sisters] and go to as many of their games as I can and show them the love of the game I learned from my dad. That’s why we play, because we love it.”