Aurora senior softball standouts (left to right) Sophie Retton, Sophie Petrash and Sophie Schechterman have helped lift the program to an elite level.
Tom Nader/Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

They may share a name, but Aurora’s three Sophies all bring something special and unique to a very talented softball lineup.

One similarity shared between the three is their shear domination on the diamond.

Another is that they have all played for head coach Sam Petrash for a decade.

“I started with all three of them when they were 7 years old,” Petrash said. “All three are special in their own way, but they’ve become so good that we can basically throw them out there and just let them play.”

The numbers and results have proved that since they were freshmen.

Now seniors, Sophie Retton, Sophie Petrash and Sophie Schechterman have been an integral part of the program’s elite rise.

The Greenmen do not appear ready to level off either, with championship aspirations this season, coming off a regional berth in the OHSAA tournament and second straight Suburban League American Conference championship last spring.

Last year’s effort, along with whatever awaits this year’s group, has always been a team effort with a depth of talent, but it can’t be denied the importance that Retton, Petrash and Schechterman bring to the program.

SOPHIE RETTON

Senior pitcher

2024 Stats: .584 average, 45 hits, 13 doubles, 3 home runs, 37 RBI, 31 runs scored.

Petrash knew very early in Retton’s career that her player trajectory was going to be a special one.

“I knew Sophie would be a good player, because she comes from a baseball and softball family,” Petrash said.

From the start, Petrash worked with Retton to be a pitcher.

He didn’t want a thrower, but a pitcher.

Perfecting the techniques and fundamentals, but also embracing the mental side of the position and how to find advantages.

After waiting patiently behind some electric arms that were upperclassmen, Retton’s time in the circle has arrived.

“She worked hard, and still does, to be our ace. She has put herself and our team in a position to compete for a deep run this year.”

While she waited for her time to pitch, Retton was always a heavy bat in the lineup and now mixed in with her top-level pitching, she is one of the most complete and prolific players in Northeast Ohio.

“She is dangerous with the bat, because she hits for power and average, which makes her special.”

SOPHIE PETRASH

Senior, second base

2024 Stats: .493 average, 36 hits, 9 doubles, 14 RBI, 35 runs scored.

The daughter of coach Petrash, Petrash actually began her youth career as a pitcher.

Soon, though, she shifted to second base and developed into an elite level defender, who can make all the plays required of the position, as well as some of the ones most can’t because of her athleticism.

“We are lucky because she has the mobility of a shortstop, which closes down that right side for us,” coach Petrash said. “Her work ethic and hustle are unmatched.”

At the plate, Petrash has displayed a willing unselfishness that helps power Aurora’s offense.

As the team’s No. 2 hitter in the lineup, it is not uncommon for Petrash to sacrifice her at-bats for what the team needs inside a specific moment.

“She’s the perfect two-hitter, because she’ll do whatever is asked of her,” coach Petrash said. 

SOPHIE SCHECHTERMAN

Senior, catcher

2024 Stats: .562 average, 36 hits, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 28 RBI.

From behind the plate, Schechterman is not only the team’s vocal leader, but also the team’s heartbeat.

Her ascension at the position is something that Petrash admits that he did not anticipate.

“I honestly did not think she’d stick it out as a catcher, but she has become one of our most rugged and productive players,” he said.

The state knows it, too, with Schechterman being named First Team All-Ohio last season.

An award that her statistics alone could carry, but where Schectherman distances herself from her peers is her ability to impact the game in areas that do not have qualifying stats.

“She’s learned our pitch-calling system and does a fantastic job calling Sophie Retton’s pitches,” Petrash said. “She’s also responsible for our defense. We run everything through Sophie and depend on her to be on time with our plays.”

The three Sophies are shining to start their senior season, but all three look back to their humble beginnings with their Raptors youth travel team as the starting point to not only their development as players, but also their bond on the diamond.

“We have been playing together for so long and know each other so well,” Schechterman said. “I think it makes the game easier for us, because we know exactly what everyone needs and when they need it.”

Sophie Petrash echoed the same emotional connection.

“We have been through just about everything together,” Petrash said. “We are always ready to support each other through the good and the bad, and we are also always ready to push each other at practice so that we can be ready for games.”

The larger challenge is for Aurora’s opposition — and whether or not they can be ready for games going against the relentless lineup that the Greenmen present.

Aurora’s current senior softball class have posted a 72-15 (.742 win percentage) overall record. In league play, the record is even more staggering at 42-4 (.913).

Retton, Petrash and Schechterman have obviously been large contributors to that success, with coach Petrash enjoying the front-row seat along the way.

“All three of them  have been fun to watch over the last 10 years that I’ve coached them,” he said. “Their softball skills and IQs are off the charts. They are always in the right place at the right time with their rotations, and they understand what we need on offense in certain situations.”

Special and unique, indeed.