When Addison Torgerson was 3 years old, she was right-handed in every way.
That changed when she started playing T-ball.
“My dad told me, ‘Hit lefty,’” Torgerson said, laughing. “And I was so bad because obviously I wasn’t used to hitting from the left side.”
That changed, too.
Today, she has become Sandburg’s lethal lefty leadoff hitter.
The senior outfielder was very productive Wednesday for the Eagles in a 9-1 nonconference victory over host Richards in Oak Lawn.
Torgerson came through with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single for Sandburg (1-0). Zoe Jeanes went 4-for-4, while Zoe Trunk contributed two hits and Grace Fuller earned the pitching win.
Meghan Wirtz went 3-for-3 for Richards (0-1). Skylar Egan had two hits and Abbey Lichter added a triple.
Torgerson still uses her right hand for most things in her life, including throwing. But she swings a bat and a golf club from the left side.
Her dad, Henry, is the head baseball coach at Triton. He threw right-handed and batted left himself in high school and college.
It worked pretty well for him. As a college senior at Benedictine in Lisle, he earned All-American honors as both a pitcher and second baseman.
Now, he’s got his kids doing it. Addison’s younger sister, Grace, a right-handed thrower, also bats left-handed.
It’s a matter of putting your power up front.
“I do it because batting lefty, my lead hand (on the bat) would be my right hand, my dominant hand,” Addison said. “My dad thinks it would be better for hitting to swing from the left side.”
Torgerson is not a typical lefty at the top of the order.
She took healthy cuts against Richards, driving two fly balls that were caught in deep center field. The second one, in the top of the second inning, drove in Ashley Fuller with Sandburg’s first run.
Then, Torgerson’s RBI single in the fourth was a rocket grounder up the middle, sending in Angelina Diaz to make it 2-0. In Torgerson’s final at-bat, she drew a walk.
She’s not a likely candidate to slap, either. But she does enjoy keeping pitchers guessing.
“I do think it’s an advantage for me being able to hit away,” Torgerson said. “Hitting leadoff, a lot of people expect you to slap, so it takes people by surprise.”
Jeanes, a teammate for the past two seasons and one of her best friends, wouldn’t bet against Torgerson doing anything to get the job done.
“Oh, she’ll lay that bunt down and do the sacrifice for the team,” Jeanes said. “But then she’ll rake a double, hit a triple or drive a ball over the fence. She’s a very diverse hitter.
“Addison is definitely one of the most high-spirited people I’ve ever met. She will make sure no one is upset, and when she’s on the field, she always has a positive thing to say. It really brings up our team, and with her being a senior this year, people look up to her.”
Torgerson made a big leap from freshman level to the varsity during her sophomore season. As a junior, she hit .350 with three home runs.
First-year head coach Amanda Allison — a key player for Sandburg’s 2010 Class 4A state championship team — wants Torgerson to be the first one to see a pitch.
“She has such a great eye for the ball,” Allison said. “She consistently makes contact, which is what you want a first hitter to do. She does a great job of getting deep in the counts as well. She really makes that pitcher work and helps relay to our other hitters what that pitcher is throwing.
“Addison is just a team player. She’s finding her footing, and I expect she’ll take off from here.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
