Ava Tingey and the Domenici sisters commit to playing softball in college

Three Lincoln High School softball players will continue their athletic careers in college as Ava Tingey will compete at Fresno State University while Ava and Gianna Domenici will both play at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Domenici twin sisters began playing tee-ball at age five with Lincoln Girls Softball Association where they played for five seasons before transitioning to competitive softball at 12 years old. Ava originally began as a catcher while Gianna was a pitcher, but by the time they were 10, they switched roles as Ava was consistently pitching for her recreational team and began to work with a pitching coach when she was 12. "Once Ava started pitching, she needed a catcher," Gianna Domenici said. "Anytime she takes a lesson or practices, I am the one receiving the ball. I go to all her lessons and know what her pitches should be doing. The past few years, our coaches have let me call Ava's games and that is when we shine. Our chemistry has always been there." Both sisters have been on the Lincoln High varsity team since their sophomore year, but unfortunately, their season ended after eight games in 2020. "I remember feeling like my dream of playing college softball was being pushed further away from me," Ava Domenici said. "Without a team or coaches during that time, it forced us to rely on ourselves and keep working without knowing when we would ever get to play again. Working every day allowed us to get better when others weren't." In her three seasons on varsity, Ava Domenici has a 23-16 record on the mound with a 2.13 earned run average and 280 strikeouts. This season, she has 180 strikeouts thus far and recently broke the single season record of 172 strikeouts set by Stephanie Tofft in 2010. Tofft went on to play for the University of Florida and won the 2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship. "I think it's awesome that there's someone at Lincoln who is competing at a high level and will be continuing to do so in college," Tofft said. "I'm so proud of her getting the amount of strikeouts this season that she has." Gianna Domenici has 27 runs batted in and a .287 batting average during her time on the varsity team. The Embry-Riddle Eagles softball team is currently 27-14 in the 2022 season. Ava Tingey began playing softball at age four starting out as a shortstop where she played for most of her life before switching to an outfielder a couple of years ago. "I believe my greatest strength as an outfielder is my speed and my ability to get to certain balls in the gaps," Tingey said. Tingey has played on the varsity team at Lincoln all four years and has batted in 29 runs with a .459 average. She has also stolen 23 bases. "Getting the opportunity to play on varsity for four years has been a great experience," Tingey said. "It taught me as a freshman that I need to earn my role and to play with confidence amongst older girls. It has also shaped me into a leader because I feel it's my job as the only four-year varsity player left on the team." Tingey had multiple colleges in mind, but after going on a visit to Fresno State University, she loved the atmosphere and the community. "It is a lot like Lincoln in many ways and the softball stadium is also one of the best in the nation, which is a bonus," Tingey said. She has only played in 11 games during her senior year due to an injury, but in those games, she has competed very well batting .630, which is the best in her high school career. Tingey will major in political science and work toward law school after her time at Fresno State University. "I'm most looking forward to the lifelong friendships I'm going to make and all of the memories I'm going to make with my new teammates," Tingey said. The Fresno State Bulldogs softball team is currently 16-32 in the 2022 season. All three seniors will play in the 2022 Optimist softball game.