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If you’ve ever broken an arm, it can be excruciating to move, let alone play with it.
Tallulah Pascucci, a freshman infielder/outfielder from Arkansas, played an entire game last year after a nearly 70-mph pitch hit her square on her right forearm, breaking it.
That injury knocked her out of almost the entire summer season with Jeff Wallace’s KC Peppers 18U team, but it didn’t stop her drive to return with something to prove.
“It was a journey getting back to 100 percent,” Coach Wallace explains, “but she is killing it. Last fall, she hit .343 with runners in scoring position–the stat that separates the good from the great ones—and she works tirelessly to improve.”
A year ago this month, Extra Inning Softball did a “10 Questions With…” profile on Tallulah, who also goes by the nickname of “Touee,” and she would go on to be selected as a member of the 2023 Extra Elite 100 last March.
However, barely a week into the club season, Tallulah was knocked out with the injury, but her intensity and focus has helped prepare her for a big year in 2020.
“Touee works tirelessly to improve,” Wallace continues. “She is advanced mentally for her age, which helped her make the jump to 18’s. Touee is able to slow the game down mentally, but her biggest asset physically is her hands and hand speed. She is a dream to coach, too, because of her drive and willingness to make adjustments. And she is tough as hell.”
Here’s more on this player to watch from freshman class…
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NAME: TALLULAH PASCUCCI
Hometown/State: Bentonville, Arkansas
Grad Year: 2023
Position(s): SS/2B/OF
Club Team: KC Peppers 18U – Wallace
High School: Bentonville (Arkansas) High
GPA: 3.6
Recruiting: Uncommitted, interest from Power 5 and other DI programs
Height: 5-foot-2
Nickname: “Touee”
Other Sports: Ran track and played basketball until this year. Only playing softball now due to conflicting high school seasons.
Top Honors/Accomplishments: All-American, Direct Select All-American, Select 30, Top Gun Prodigy selection, AthPro 360 score of 90-plus, Ranked #4 in 2023 overall by Scout Softball, Ranked #89 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100, Colorado IDT all-star selection, Grad Year Games All -American
Key Stats: Hit .353 with a .510 on-base percentage for the Peppers 18U team last summer; batted .367 with a .459 OBP in the fall.
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You have an unusual nickname: “Touee.” How did that come about?
When I was a baby my older brother Jack couldn’t say “Tallulah” at the time so “Touee” just came to be and it stuck all of these years.
You had a tough summer, missing nearly the entire softball club season because of a broken forearm… what happened?
It was my very first tournament of the summer, playing in the Top Gun KC Memorial Day tournament. I was so excited about playing with the new team and felt ready to contribute and have a great summer. We were playing our fifth game, against the Nebraska Quakes, and I was starting to feel really comfortable and confident and that I was fitting in with the team. The pitcher was throwing extremely hard, coaches later said she was hitting 68 mph consistently on the gun and then higher. I was having a good at bat and fouling off pitches and worked the count full and then took an inside fastball on my right forearm, which I feel is such an unusual way to break your arm. My arm took the entire blow and the ball was laying right next to me after it hit me. I went to first and knew it hurt more than it should’ve, but I didn’t want to be taken out because I only got hit by a pitch.
You played that entire game with the broken forearm! How did you withstand the pain to power through the game?
I did play through it. I was trying so hard to be part of the older team and fight through the pain to help us win. I obviously did not know it was broken but knew something was wrong. I just mentally tried to continue to play and help the team and didn’t want to be done when I was just getting started.
Your toughness is one thing coaches say is a strong point… do you agree? And where does that tenacity and toughness come from?
I agree and think I get this from being the youngest with two older brothers. They taught me a ton growing up, but I am also tough on myself and I am not easily satisfied.
If you’re scouting yourself, what would you say makes you a recruit that coaches would want to sign to their program?
I love to win and I am always there for my team. I will always have their backs and I will fight through anything to be there for them, like the broken arm. My being a 5-tool player is something that can add major value to programs in many ways.
You are also known for your quick hands and hand speed… is that something you’ve worked on to develop or is it something that comes naturally?
I think this came pretty naturally, even when I first started playing coaches and others would say that to me. That doesn’t mean I get away with not working on my hitting though. I work even harder on staying inside the ball and using my lower half, especially since I am small.
You had a strong fall including hitting .343 with runners in scoring position… what is your approach at the plate when you have a chance to knock in runners?
My approach is to get a good pitch early to hit and drive it because at this level it might be the only one you get. I try to not overthink things and just stay up the middle, because hitting is already hard enough as is I spend all my practice time working on mechanics so I just can be myself at the plate.
When was this first time you realized that you really loved softball and what triggered that feeling?
I always played baseball with my brothers and baseball has always just been a big deal in my family. I really just loved spring training with my grandpa and all the memories and it really triggered when I began playing tournaments with some of the people I am still closest with today and became more than just a sport.
*** Scroll down to read more about Tullulah including who is her softball hero…