It is a 3-1 count, and a hardline drive was hit toward third base for a potential hit, except any hope of reaching base was crushed when the third baseman lays out to snow cone the ball into her glove. 

With confidence, the fielder then swung her feet in the air, looking up and sticking her tongue out toward the camera. 

That player is SU softball senior Emilee Sullivan, and she makes sure to incorporate energetic reactions into her routine plays. 

“I just like to have fun, and that is my definition of fun, just being really loud, and honestly, sticking my tongue out for anything I do good,” said Sullivan. 

She is also playing with confidence in a position that requires little fear and fast feet. 

“Her reactions are so fast,” said SU Head Softball Coach Alison Van Scyoc. “She also does not have fear when she’s over at third, which you have to do to play that corner and be successful at it.”

Sullivan has been playing the sport since she was 4 years old, taking inspiration from her older sister. 

She is also from Newville, making the 20-minute commute for athletics and academics, and she is majoring in both elementary and special education. She loves having her family close so they can continue supporting her journey. 

Along with strong familial relationships, she also relies on the connections with her teammates to maintain her positive and lighthearted spirit. 

“I try to always be with my teammates, make my teammates laugh. There is not a time where we’re not laughing,” Sullivan said. 

Van Scyoc said the energy Emilee brings is a large part of the team’s success, as well as Sullivan’s reaction time at third and her communication skills.

Van Scyoc said, “She is probably the first person that you will hear when a ball is put in play, where she kind of designates and runs, like go to second, go to first, let it go foul.”

Sullivan’s loud personality also helps her shine in the batter’s box. Sullivan is currently batting .343 with 47 hits in 137 at bats. 

When at bat, she vocalizes the pitches she faces, screaming “no” or “yes” depending if the ball lands inside or outside the strike zone. 

Sullivan said, “If a ball is outside or wherever, and it’s clearly a ball, I will scream no, just so it stops myself from swinging,” 

She also acknowledged that other people have caught on, including her teammates. 

“[My teammates] yelled at me at Frostburg,” she said. “They were like, ‘You tell that ball no, Sully!’”

Her favorite memory with the team is winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship her freshman season. She also enjoyed making it to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Regionals and the Women’s College World Series last year. 

To prepare for games, Sullivan says, “I always get myself ready by listening to music a lot, being with my teammates, extra hitting [and] having a fun drink.”

A current obsession of hers is NeeDohs, which have made their way into the dugout along with other fidget toys. 

“We have a very popular item in the dugout, and it’s yo-yos,” Sullivan said. “We get bags of yo-yos because we think it makes us win, and you know what? It does.” 

The Raiders are currently 32-14 overall and 19-9 in PSAC Eastern Division play. They still have two regular season series left, both against conference opponents. SU is currently in second place in the PSAC East standings. 

Sullivan tries to not let her mindset change while going into postseason, and she is still focusing on having fun while acknowledging the excitement of being part of history. 

“I think it’s cool for the people who are coming up through this class and everything, and girls coming in, to know what we did and to know that there is an expectation,” Sullivan said, 

The Super Regional appearance last year was the first in the team’s history, and it was its third appearance at the World Series. 

Sullivan’s advice to future SU softball players is to make the most out of their time on the team and remember that it is a game that is meant to be fun. 

“It is a failure sport,” she said. “So just don’t take everything to heart and it’s hard because, obviously, we want to succeed all the time, but yeah, just have fun.”

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