Ready to pounce: Durbin is base-running her way into Crestview softball record books

OLIVESBURG — A cougar's prey never sees it coming.

They silently stalk their prey waiting for the perfect time to strike studying every single move along the way. They show patience, but are calculated and strategic. And they almost never attack unless it is 100% certain of success.

It sounds a lot like Crestview Cougars speedster Sophie Durbin when she is on the base paths.

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The senior shortstop is a base-stealing, run-scoring, hit-collecting machine who is closing in on legendary status within one of the most successful softball programs in Richland County. The Cougars have 15 Firelands Conference championships since 1986 and are right in the mix this year sitting just one game back of Monroeville and Mapleton with one week left in the regular season.

Durbin's numbers are insane. This season, she is hitting .481 with 26 hits, 18 RBIs, 28 runs scored and 29 stolen bases which is the 13th-most in Ohio among teams who report stats on MaxPreps. She has also drawn 13 walks.

Her 29 steals are just four behind Jesse Keck's single-season record of 33 set back in the 1980s making her one of the most dangerous base runners in the state.

"I am actually thinking about stealing a base every single pitch," Sophie Durbin said. "I get a jump like I am going to take the next base that way if there is a ball in the dirt, I am already prepared to run. Mix that with studying the pitcher and that is where you can get your advantages. You have to figure out where she takes pauses and when she doesn't so you can get that jump."

It is a deep and complex look into the mind of the most prolific base stealer in Crestview softball history. Durbin owns the career steals record swiping 96 steals in 88 career games out of 106 attempts. As a junior, she was 28-for-33, as a sophomore 28-for-31 and during her freshman year, she was a perfect 11-for-11. She always flirted with that single-season record, but this year, she might just get it.

"It is a lost art," Crestview coach and Sophie's dad, Scott Durbin, said. "We always have our catcher on alert every time we have a runner on and we have been fortunate to have a good one who throws a lot of runners out, but we are kind of amazed at how often people do not run. It sets up the rest of the lineup if you can get on and turn a walk into a double. You put that pressure on the defense and Sophie does a great job of doing that. She has no hesitation and an impressive slide. She works very hard at it and loves doing it."

Sophie's base-stealing does more than just rack up an impressive number. It has led to the Cougars scoring a lot of runs over the last four seasons. She has scored 124 times over her four-year career. Since she found herself on varsity as a freshman, Sophie has had a hand in helping the Cougars scored a total of 700 runs as she has accounted for nearly 20% of them.

"When you start thinking about 100 runs and 100 steals, those are huge numbers," Scott Durbin said. "What gets overlooked even more is the base running in general where she takes an extra base on a throw or goes first to third on a ball that should allow that. She has always been really aggressive and it leads to runs more times than not. It also give our hitters some confidence that they can go get an RBI when she is on."

Sophie credits her ability to steal bases directly reflecting scoring runs and winning games. And the Cougars have won a lot with her in the lineup. They are currently 15-6 marking the fourth straight season of 12 or more wins and a record of 64-28.

"It changes the game a lot," Sophie Durbin said. "To be able to turn a single or even a walk into a double or a triple just by stealing bases is a huge way to affect the game. Anytime you can get into scoring position, all you need is a ball to the outfield and you can score."

And yes, sometimes she does turn a walk into a triple in just two pitches. Of her 96 steals, 11 of them have been taking third base, one of the hardest bases to steal in high school softball.

But stealing bases doesn't just happen by accident. Along with studying pitchers like a cougar does prey, Sophie also has to have one other kay attribute to be able to swipe bags on demand.

"I think it is just the confidence, honestly," Sophie Durbin said. "I tell myself that I am not going to get thrown out and that is how I attack every time I steal a base. If you run scared, you are going to get thrown out. Being a singles hitter helps a lot too because I am able to have more opportunities to steal bases."

This season, Sophie had seven games with multiple steals including a season-high four in a win over Norwalk at the beginning of the year. She had three steals four times and two twice.

In 2023, she saw her career-high six steals in a game in a 15-5 win over Western Reserve. It was a year she posted nine multi-steal games swiping three once and two seven different times.

As a sophomore, her game-high was three which she did five times and she also had two-steal games three times.

As a freshman, she stole two bases in a game three times.

There have been 27 games that Sophie stole two or more bases and the Cougars are 20-7 in those games proving that if the Cougars want to win, Sophie has to steal bases.

"We worked on it at an early age, but the pride and confidence she has in her ability to steal a base is all on her," Scott Durbin said. "It comes in handy because the rest of our lineup behind her is pretty darn good and if she is on second just one pitch into our No. 2 batter, we like our chances of scoring a run and starting so many games off up 1-0. And with our pitching and defense, that is huge."

While she is the career record holder, Durbin now had her sights set on the single-season mark of 33. The Cougars have four regular-season games remaining plus the tournament remaining to put that career number as high as she possibly can as well as challenge Keck's single-season mark.

"I am very excited about having those numbers," Sophie Durbin said. "It is an honor to be mentioned with some of those names because not many people get to do that."

And dad is determined to not let her take it for granted.

"It is special," Scott Durbin said. "When I got the privilege of taking over this program, I got to learn the history of it. You go back through some great teams and great players. We had Autumn Bailey who could fly and is still flying at Akron. Alyssa See played at George Mason and was sensational. There are a lot of great players who came through here on great teams and Sophie will walk off as decorated as any of them and that is a testament to her hard work.

"For me to be the one standing on third base watching and giving her a high five when she steals third or hits a triple, there is no doubt it is special to me and something I will cherish for a long time."

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ready to pounce: Durbin is base-running her way into Crestview softball record books