Louisville softball getting late-season push from ‘true grit’ duo of Hayden Luderer and Cece Cellura

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Louisville’s Hayden Luderer is fast – very fast.

She is known to wreak havoc on the base paths. It’s why the opposing pitcher kept a close eye on her during a recent game.

“I was diving back to first base to beat a pick-off attempt and jammed my finger on the bag,” Luderer said. “When I got up, it was crooked and pointing inward. Our trainer fixed it up and I played the rest of the game.”

As painful as it sounds, Luderer, a standout softball player who signed with New Mexico, thought her finger was just dislocated, but she was wrong. It was worse than that.

“I went to the hospital and they told me my finger was broken and that I’d need surgery,” Luderer said. “The recovery time is at least a month. I lost it and started crying thinking the season was over … my high school career is over.”

Luderer was wrong about that, too.

“My coach said as long as it was OK with my family, I could play with a cast on. So here I am,” said Luderer with eye black on her face and a smile.

Determined to finish on her own terms, Luderer played in Thursday’s 4-2 Mission League victory over Notre Dame with a hard cast on her right hand, which is also her throwing hand. The cast covers her whole forearm along with her broken right, ring finger and pinky, leaving just her index finger, middle finger and thumb available for use.

The cast doesn’t let Luderer grip and throw the ball, so she played first base.

She’s also a switch hitter.

“I try to slap at the ball to get it in play and then use my speed to get to first base,” Luderer said about her batting approach, essentially with one hand.

Talk about tough. How about Louisville’s Hayden Luderer, batting with a cast on her right arm and also playing first base. She’s a gamer. pic.twitter.com/q4OA4Z9A3q

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) April 20, 2023

In Thursday’s game, Luderer took on more damage when she collided with teammate Sara Green in pursuit of a foul fly ball, causing Luderer’s mouth to bleed after a hefty collision with Green’s shoulder. Luderer needed just a couple minutes to shake it off.

“I get my toughness from my dad,” Luderer said. “He played baseball his whole life. He told me the reason he’s letting me play with the broken finger is because it’s what he would’ve done when he was playing.”

Luderer isn’t the only Royal showing toughness. Senior pitcher Cece Cellura missed the last five weeks with a right MCL sprain. During the stretch when Cellura missed time in the circle, Louisville went 2-4, including a 6-4 loss to Notre Dame on March 23.

Cellura, a San Diego State commit, returned to the circle Thursday to face Notre Dame and star hitter Ella Parker, who is committed to Oklahoma and has 15 home runs this season. Cellura threw a complete game, allowed Parker just one hit, and struck out three.

“I was so eager to get back onto the field,” Cellura said. “I’ve been dealing with injuries almost my whole high school career. Last year I missed games because of my ankle, the year before that it was my back. It started to take a toll on my mental health.”

“I wanted to help my team so badly, and I couldn’t do anything. All I could do was sit on a bucket in the dugout and track our games on GameChanger,” she added.

When Cellura learned she sprained her MCL, the physical therapist told her to work on the knee three times a week. She demanded a five-day-a-week plan.

“I wanted to work to put myself back out there because that’s where I belong,” Cellura said.

Louisville coach Christina Lupacchini summed up the determination of her two seniors in three words.

“It’s true grit,” Lupacchini said.

“The nature of their fight has spread through our team, and they’re ready to make a big push at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.”

The win over Notre Dame, thanks to home runs from Sara Green and Lily Kougher, shook things up in the Mission League. Notre Dame (15-4) dropped to second place at 5-2 in league, Sierra Canyon (10-4-1) jumped to first at 5-1 and Louisville (12-6) is in third place at 4-3 with a game left to play against Sierra Canyon on Wednesday, April 26 in a regular-season finale.

Louisville gets a big 4-2 Mission League win over Notre Dame. Ella Parker’s line drive (w/ two runners on) is caught and turned into a double play to end the game.

Royals got homers from Sarah Greene and Lily Kougher with a stellar pitching performance from Cece Cellura. pic.twitter.com/F7XRtMOY9n

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) April 21, 2023

Louisville was 9-2 before Cellura got hurt.

“The shift of energy is what we needed,” Lupacchini said. “Wherever we finish (in league), this is the team that we know we are. Going forward, I think, we’re going to hit our stride again.”

The softball regular season concludes April 29 and the CIF Southern Section playoffs begin May 2. Louisville is in Division 3.