Lady Monarch pitcher Jewely Livington fires the ball toward the plate during a recent 9-7 victory against Olentangy Liberty.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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The sport of softball has been a big part of Marysville High School sisters Aggie and Jewely Livingston for a number of years.
“We started playing the same year on a recreational team,” said Aggie, who is an MHS junior.
That was the only year the two played together on the same team until they got to the high school level.
Jewely is a sophomore and was a year behind her sibling as they rose through the local youth ranks.
The sisters are now playing important roles in the Lady Monarch program.
Aggie is the varsity team’s starting catcher.
Jewely pitches for both the varsity and JV squads.
They formed MHS’ battery when Jewely went into the game as a relief pitcher during the Lady Monarchs’ recent 9-7 victory over Olentangy Liberty.
“We haven’t done that very often because we’ve played on different teams,” said Jewely.
The few times that Jewely has been in the circle and Aggie has been the backstop have gone relatively well.
“We can talk without talking when Jewely is in the circle,” said Aggie. “All we have to do is give each other a certain look and we know what the other is thinking.”
That communication will come into play for the remainder of this season, depending on how many times the younger Livingston pitches during a varsity game.
The sisters will then have one more season to play together in 2019 when Aggie is a senior and Jewely is a junior.
The younger Livingston will be on her own at Marysville during her senior campaign of 2020.
After that, however, they will once again be reunited on th diamond.
“We have both verbally committed to play at Urbana University,” said Aggie.
The elder Livingston plans to study environmental science and possibly pre-veterinarian medicine.
Her young sibling anticipates going into exercise science.
“We starting talking about wanting to play together in college from the time we began playing softball,” said Jewely. “I guess you could say we’re very close as sisters.”
Aggie is quick to agree.
“I love playing on the same team as my sister,” she said.
Aggie has stepped into a big role for the Lady Monarchs, replacing power hitter Katelyn Russell as the team’s starting catcher.
Jewely has had a good deal of success in the circle for the JV squad and has seen spot duty for the varsity.
“Sometimes, it’s tough splitting between both teams,” she said. “There are times they’ve needed me for both and I’ve wondered, ‘where do I go?’
Ironically, they both started their careers in each other’s current positions.
“I was a pitcher and Jewely was a catcher,” said Aggie. “I guess we eventually just got bored with those positions and wanted to make a switch.”