BUFORD — Behind all of Alysha Rudnik’s accomplishments on the softball field is a very polite, well-spoken young lady.

Rudnik, the Buford High senior catcher and a Georgia Tech commit, will speak about what she’s accomplished on the softball field in detail when asked, but it is perfectly clear from the tone of her voice that she’s not out for individual praise.

"I really don’t try to do anything big, I just wanted to do everything I could to help this team win," Rudnik said. "I gave it all I had because I loved being a part of this team."

However, what she’s accomplished on the field for the Lady Wolves in her four-year career is quite extensive. Rudnik led the Lady Wolves with a .474 batting average, seven home runs and 37 hits. She was also a force behind the plate with approximately 2,700 pitches received and only three passed balls allowed and four stolen bases surrendered, according to team statistician Brad Brown.

For her efforts, Rudnik is The Times 2009 Area Softball Player of the Year.

"She is an incredibly gifted athlete and is really driven to be successful," Buford coach Tony Wolfe said. "She has tremendous poise."

Rudnik acknowledged that individual accomplishments are nice, however, it is the history Buford made as the three-time defending Class AA state champions that matters most to the future Yellow Jacket.

"The state titles are one of the best feelings," Rudnik said. "To know we went out as the state champions and leaving a legacy for this program is a great accomplishment for our team."

While Rudnik was clutch in almost all situations, it was in the most critical moments of the season when she seemed to take control.

Wolfe says that this year’s state title series against Rockmart in Columbus was the best example. Rudnik’s effort behind the plate very easily could have been the deciding factor after the Wolves dropped the first game of the day to Rockmart, 2-0.

Needing a win in the second game against Rockmart to claim the state title, Rudnik stepped to the plate with two outs and the game still scoreless in the first inning. With two strikes in the count, Rudnik was concentrating solely on getting a base hit. However, she provided the jolt the team needed to bring home yet another state title with a solo home run that led to a 9-0 victory.

"It felt really good to know we had scored after getting shut out the previous game," Rudnik said. "That gave us some momentum we really needed at that point."

As a junior, Rudnik also brought that same clutch element to the Lady Wolves in the state semifinals, in that instance against Calhoun. Tied in the eighth inning with no score, the Lady Yellow Jackets had the bases loaded with no outs.

When Calhoun tried to utilize a suicide squeeze to bring home the winning run and the batter failed to make contact, Rudnik had the presence of mind to throw back to third and catch the lead runner in a run down. Buford managed to get the next two batters out before giving up any runs, and then scored in the bottom of the eighth inning to win, and eventually claim the state title against Calhoun in the following game.

"Alysha found a way to perform in the big moments," Wolfe said. "Not everyone can perform under such high pressure, but she would find a way to get it done."