Durr signs to play softball at ECC

Having played softball since she was 3 or 4-years old, Newton High senior Harlie Durr has a love for the game. She decided she wanted to play the sport at the collegiate level.

Durr finalized that decision on Thursday when she signed a letter of intent to play softball for Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. Durr has one more season of Newton High action this summer then she becomes a ECC Panther.

“When I got an email from Coach (Nate) Forsyth, he asked me to bring my softball stuff on my visit so I could do some drills,” Durr said. “Getting back into the softball groove, I felt something which felt right for me there.”

Ellsworth’s head coach is Nate Forsyth and the Panthers went 16-37 in the 2016-17 season. They were 7-21 in Iowa Community College Conference play.

Panther assistant softball coach Krisiti Larson said Durr showed interest in the ECC program which excited the coaching staff. Larson, who is in her first season at ECC, said Coach Forsyth forwarded Durr’s email to her and she contacted Durr.

“Harlie came to campus and had a great workout for us. She is coachable and a hard worker,” Larson said. “We think her athleticism will really help us in the outfield.”

Newton (16-18) ended up sixth in the Little Hawkeye Conference with a 10-10 mark last summer. Durr was a starting outfielder for Newton. She made three errors and had a fielding average of .923. Durr had 10 hits and one double. She drove in nine runs.

“I believe my outfield skills will allow me to contribute to the Ellsworth team. With some work, my hitting can improve,” Durr said. “I also believe I have strong leadership skills.”

Durr said she loves softball for a lot of reasons.

“The feel of the ball on the bat, and running around the bases allows you to just let loose and let go of life’s problems,” Durr said. “The feeling of throwing someone out at the plate from center field is amazing. The bond you have with your teammates is what makes softball so unique.”

Durr said she’s leaning toward a degree in criminal justice or in the business field.

“It seems like a great environment. The students were nice to me and I got to eat with some of the players when I went on my visit,” Durr said. “There’s a lot of opportunities at Ellsworth with a lot of classes I can take because I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. My first year, I can take all sorts of classes and find out a field to go into.”

Durr is the daughter of Bret and Kristie Durr of Newton.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
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