Matreale enjoying being Phillies' ballgirl
By: Paul Franklin (For the Times of Trenton)
LAWRENCE - By sophomore year, Rachael Matreale knew she didn't want to study political science and go to law school. So she switched to accounting. Then she switched to business administration, then marketing and sports management.
She will graduate from college next month, and then throw herself into a field she has wanted since she began changing majors.
The field is Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and last weekend she made her debut as a ballgirl for the Phillies.
The senior from South Jersey is already quite a thrower. A pitcher on the Rider University softball team, she has more than 500 career strikeouts and already this season has been named Metro Atlantic Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week four times.
She has 14 of her team's 15 wins with 144 strikeouts in 144 innings. Thus far this spring, she has tossed four two-hitters, a one-hitter and a no-hitter. In a shortened five-inning game against St. Peter's, she fanned 13.
While the team continues to compete for a spot in the conference playoffs, the 5-foot-10 right-hander will balance softball, studies and the Phillies before concentrating on just wearing the cherry pinstripes. Chances are she'll attend grad school in the area come September.
A Phillies fan from birth, her family has had a season-ticket package for a few years.
Growing up in Williamstown, 30 minutes from the ballpark, she spent many summer days at Veterans Stadium cheering - and booing - her favorite team.
But as she said, "This is a different world."
She observed one of the veteran ballgirls at a game last Thursday before doing the job alone in right field Friday night in innings 7-8-9 against the Mets. She worked the left field line for the last five innings Saturday.
"It was pretty awesome," Matreale said. "Just to be on the field, with 45,000 people. We made jacket runs, out to the bullpen and then to the dugout, and I got to meet a bunch of the players and that was awesome.
"I had one ground ball hit to me, and I fielded it cleanly. I was nervous. You have to stay focused. You get into the game and start watching it and kind of forget. When you have to get out of the way, you have to grab your stool and take it with you, so you can't zone out on any pitches."
Neither could she zone out during the trials. While Phillies ballgirls have to be at least 18 and live in the Philadelphia area, they also have to submit a video to show their softball skills and public speaking skills. Picked among 30 finalists, the candidates were then quizzed on the team history and were on the field running, hitting and fielding.
From there, 15 were chosen for formal interviews. The process went from September to December, when finally Matreale received a cell phone message during class.
"I went outside the classroom and called," she said. "I was one of seven girls picked. It was pretty exciting; I was jumping around."
Being at the stadium, Matreale said, is only 20 percent of their job. They also do community service, work charity events and conduct softball clinics.
The ballgirls - there are 14 of them - also sign autographs between innings, handing out baseball-like trading cards with their images.
"The fans are the best," she said. "That's definitely the most awesome part. We have our first names on the back of our jerseys, so they're screaming your name. The little boys are really excited. Even grownups, they'll say, 'If you get a ball can you hand it to me?' Or, 'You're so pretty, could you give me a foul ball?' They try and schmooze it up, but we try and get the balls to little kids."
Reminded that Philadelphia fans are known for booing, she laughed knowingly.
"Philly fans aren't that forgiving," she said.
"They don't care that the outfield walls down the line curve."
Asked if she ever booed during games, she didn't hesitate. "Oh yeah. I'm into the game.
If Ryan Howard strikes out with runners on second and third on a ball in the dirt, I'm ready to boo 'em."
