Portland High senior Sadie Armstrong has been on the college softball fast track for much of her life and Wednesday afternoon at the Alumni Room at Portland High School, in front of a huge crowd, which included family, friends, teammates and even “Slugger” of Sea Dogs fame, Armstrong took another step toward making that dream a reality when she signed her National Letter of Intent to attend and play softball at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

“It means everything,” said Armstrong, who is equally dominant in the pitcher’s circle and at the plate. “It’s another step in my journey and I can’t wait for the next four years. I started dreaming about this when I was 10- or 11-years old and it became a reality today. I stepped on campus at Longwood and I knew I was home. My coaches, my team, the community, I knew it was perfect.”

“Sadie’s very self-motivated and knows how to set goals for herself and achieve those goals,” said Portland softball coach Jason McLeod. “That’s a testament to her hard work and dedication. Even more importantly, she’s a great student and a great teammate. Those variables go a long way. She’s just a special athlete.”