Softball is not quite what it used to be.

“The days when pitchers such as (La Canada High School’s) Lindsey Parker gave up three or four runs for one season (in 1994-95) are gone,” longtime Temple City High School coach Bob Ellingsworth said. “It used to be every pitcher had a coach. Now, every hitter has a coach.”

There are still quality pitchers that can overpower opponents, but Ellingsworth said that now it’s more of a matter of making sure pitchers get the ball over the plate and make the hitters make the mistakes.

“Pitchers do not have to be as dominate,” he said. “They just have to be good.”

First-year Pasadena Poly coach Jennifer Moulden agrees.

“Those are history,” she said of a plethora of shutouts in years past.”Games are most definitely higher scoring. It doesn’t seem as if many players are wanting to pitch anymore.”

See Top 10 list: www.pasadenastarnews.com/highschool-sports