Worked wonders against all giants save Titans this spring. For on the mound, this tiny but mighty southpaw posted a 16-2 record.

The two losses? To Shaler. The last in extra innings in the WPIAL Quad-A semifinals.

"Geena kept us in all games," said Lebo manager Nikki Fajtak. "Definitely, she kept batters honest."

Not to mention hitless. See, opponents batted just .078 against her. They scored even less. Badolato allowed just five earned runs for a 0.30 ERA. She struck out 166 batters and ranked No. 9 in the WPIAL.

Off the mound though, Badolato clubs them with adroitness academically and socially. She maintains a 4.1 QPA. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and Leadership Council.

Badolato belongs to On-Deck, which is a mentoring program at Mt. Lebanon, and she volunteers at St. Clair Hospital. An avid horseback rider, Geena volunteers at a camp that offers equestrian lessons to underprivileged youth.

During the summer months, she hones her softball skills, playing first base and pitching for the Pittsburgh Power.

A solid defensive player, she made eight putouts and collected 28 assists from her fielding position, Badolato also carries a mean stick at the plate. She owned a .393 on-base percentage and she socked five doubles and one triple for the Lebo ladies, who won the Section 4 title.

By next year, Badolato hopes to turn her talents into a scholarship. Already, she is garnering interest currently from Cornell and James Madison University. She plans on majoring in international business.

"Absolutely," said Fajtak, "we expect another big year from Geena. Honestly, the one thing she needs to improve is her mental game. She's very hard on herself. Geena needs to give herself more credit."

Credit again rolled her way at the completion of the season. In addition to earning all-league acclaim, Badolato has been named The Almanac's 2009 Most Valuable Player for softball.

"It's quite an honor," said the daughter of Frank and Victoria Badolato. "I appreciate it."

Badolato would appreciate playing softball long after college. She said that she would not roll out going to Greece or Italy to compete.

"I'd like to play as long as I can," she said.