If it’s possible for a player hitting .500 and throwing 28 strikeouts through the first six games of the season to be underrated, Cape Central shortstop Bella Pattengill fits the bill.

Perhaps the fact that the Tigers have struggled in year’s past clouds the perception of her. Perhaps it’s because she has yet to earn any major postseason honors. Or perhaps she is one of District 1 softball’s best kept secrets.

Pattengill, a senior, is off to a blistering start to the 2024 campaign and is enjoying her finest season at the high school level so far. Her dominance was on fully display on Tuesday evening when the Tigers shut out Perryville, 4-0, in the final game of a home tri-series at Cape Central High School.

“She was on fire, wasn't she?” Cape Central head coach Jessica Compas said. “She was in the zone, and she was doing great.”

After falling to East Carter, 4-1, in the opening game, Compas and the Tigers turned to Pattengill to do her thing on the mound against Perryville.

Through six innings, the ace struck out 12, walked one, and allowed just two hits in a complete game shutout over the Pirates. Pattengill only faced trouble one time in the game when Perryville's Madeline Gremaud advanced to third on a double steal in the top of the first inning. Unfazed by the situation, Pattengill proceeded to strike out the ensuing two batters to put her team out of danger.

The Cape Central bats came to life, as well. Catcher Tatum Frick doubled off Perryville pitcher Lillian Cowell with two outs in the first inning, driving in freshman Serenity Copper from second. Copper, who went two-for-three in the game, continued her involvement on the base paths with an RBI single in the fifth inning to stretch the lead to 4-0.

“I'm excited today because I think it was really a one-team effort,” Compas said. “Our big theme for this year is ‘one team, one score.’ So, it doesn't matter how big your role is, it's the score that matters and what the team did overall.”

The victory is a huge confidence boost for a program that has struggled to gain traction after finishing a mere 2-24 last season. Pattengill says that maintaining a positive attitude and distracting themselves from poor outcomes is what breeds success in the long run.

“We definitely want to make a big comeback this season and obviously make it better than last year,” she said. "I think it just really pushes us to be our best and work and finish strong.”

If Cape Central is going to finish strong, it will be on the back of the do-it-all Pattengill, who currently leads the team in eight offensive categories, including OPS (1.092) and hits (8).

However, it’s much more than the on-field production that makes Pattengill such a polarizing player and teammate.

“She is very much a silent leader,” Compas said. “Everybody looks to her and asks her questions. But I think even more, she's really focusing on how to be the best leader that she can for all the freshmen that are new, and how she's playing that role. She's truly coming into her own.”

As the new season continues, Compas has told her players about the importance of unity and focusing on the little things. She wants everyone to sweat the details. The Tigers, who are 2-4 to start the year, have already matched last season’s win total. They are not fixed. But they look closer to the team that they envision being.

“We've just got to keep building play,” Compas said. “Sometimes they have bad games, but one game's not going to define you. It's how you're going to bounce back or ‘how you get that next pitch’ is what we say a lot. So, I think a lot of them is just to build their confidence. They just have to work on that next pitch, and we'll be all right.”

Cape Central will return to the field on Friday and Saturday for Notre Dame Softballfest. The Tigers are slated to face St. Pius X (Festus) in their opening game Friday at 5:30 pm.

Perhaps no player is more thrilled about the road ahead than Pattengill.

“Not only do we have great coaches again this year, but the team is just really positive and fun to watch,” she said. “We're stronger and have been building together for a while. They really encourage me to do my best.”