TJ pitchers support each other

Win or lose, when Jefferson senior Natasha Lindsey takes the mound today in the West Central District fastpitch tournament, Tony Barnette will know what she is going through.

Over the years, Lindsey and Barnette have formed a unique friendship stemming from playing the same position on the ball teams at the same high school.

Lindsey has been a key part of Jefferson’s fastpitch success this year, including an undefeated regular season and the first league championship in team history.

Barnette, a senior pitcher, and the baseball team had less success this season, going 4-12 and finishing second to last in the SPSL.

But through it all, the two have remained close friends.

“It’s crazy that my best friend loves baseball, is a pitcher and has the same mentality as me,” Lindsey said. “We are exactly the same, just the opposite sex. We understand what each other is going through. If one of us has a bad game, we’ll call and just talk about it.”

“He’s talked a lot more than I have this year,” Lindsey added with a laugh.

While the season was rough at times for Barnette, he always knew he could talk to Lindsey to help him through it.

“I few times I struggled through this season just to get by,” Barnette said. I was getting kind of down becuase the season wasn’t going the way I thought it would. She’d say, ‘Tony, your’ trying too hard. Just go out there and do what you gotta do. Don’t think.’ We both understand each other like there’s no tomorrow.”

The two dated briefly in junior high, but they both said they worked out better as friends.

“A lot of people don’t understand what makes us so close,” Lindsey said. “It’s the automatic connection that we have that no one understands. He knows what to say about pitching or anything else without me having to say a word. It just goes to show that a guy and a girl can become the best of friends just by something they both love.”

That friendship will be stretched next year as both graduate and go off to college.

Barnete is receiving a scholarship to play baseball at Central Arizona College. Lindsey plans to play for Shoreline Community College.

“It’ll be weird because she won’t be around all the time,” Barnette said. “I know we’ll probably talk a lot.”

“I’m going to have to buy like 50 phone cards just to bother him, like I do every day now,” Lindsey said. “We always said that when we’re older we would live right next door to each other, so either way he won’t be able to get away from me.”

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.