Battery Power

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Time flies when you’re having fun and the spring must have seemed like a blur for 9-year-old softball standouts Casey Scaduto and Julie Kassin.

The Palisadian pair provided the battery power on their Santa Monica Silver 8U All-Star softball team, which saved its best game for last at the Simi Valley Tournament on Father’s Day weekend.

Both girls will begin fourth grade at Marquez Elementary in the fall and besides being friends since kindergarten they were also  teammates on the Red Dragons in the regular season.

“I chose No. 10 [for my All-Star uniform] because it’s what I wore on the Dragons,” said Scaduto, who plays catcher.

“I’m usually No. 8 but I took No. 16 for All-Stars because my birthday is April 16,” added Kassin, who mainly pitches but also plays first base and left field.

The team practices at Clover Field and plays its home games at Memorial Park near Crossroads School. Scaduto and Kassin are bundles of energy and thus enjoy traveling all over Southern California for tournaments.

Calling Scaduto a well-rounded athlete would be an understatement. She also plays basketball at the Palisades Recreation Center, AYSO soccer, takes swim lessons at the Palisades High pool and is a ballerina at Village Arts. She was asked to catch for her team  because no one else could do it.

“Playing catcher makes you look tough,” said Scaduto, who was named MVP at the San Diego Tournament on May 29, her birthday. “The whole team sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. It was fun. I want to play at Pali someday.”

Scaduto’s favorite memory, though, was catching her first foul ball at the Fountain Valley Tournament. She lives in the El Medio neighborhood and her favorite school subjects are art and P.E.

When she steps in the circle, Kassin likes to paint the corners. Her favorite pitches are the ones that “skim the edge of the plate.”

Kassin, who lives in the Highlands with her two pet chihuahuas Kinta and Cleo, was the MVP of the Fountain Valley Tournament. Her favorite subject is math.

“I really like pitching – especially striking someone out – but I can play whatever position they need me to play,” Kassin said. “I feel good when Casey is catching because she always gives a nod to let me know when to throw it.”

Kassin, too, wants to continue playing softball and her favorite memory this year was snaring a pop fly “with everyone watching.”

Both girls will move up to the 10U division next season.