Hall of Fame
Patty Cutright, 2011 - Cutright lettered four years with the Western softball team from 1975-78, starting every year in right field. She helped the team to an AIAW Illinois state tournament championship and fifth-place finish at the Women's College World Series in 1975. During the 1977 season WIU softball won another state of Illinois title, Midwest Regional championship and advanced to the College World Series.
Cutright's impressive collegiate career still has her listed among the season 'Top 10' leaders more than 30 years later. Cutright currently ranks: eighth in home runs (10 in 1977), and fourth in slugging percentage (.752 in 1977). Cutright still ranks among the Western career 'Top 10' leaders in four categories. Her .348 career batting average is tied for sixth-best. She stands fifth in triples (12), seventh slugging percentage (.598) and tied for ninth in home runs (15).
More than a softball standout at Western, Cutright played a year of freshman volleyball in 1974, JV field hockey in 1975 and two years of varsity basketball. Upon graduation from Western with a bachelor's and master's degree in Physical Education, she played semi-professional fastpitch softball.
In 1978 the Pekin Lettes won the Illinois ASA state tournament championship. For seven years she played on the Macomb Magic women's premier team. The 1979 team advanced to the national tournament, then in 1980 and 1981 Macomb took fourth place in the nation. Cutright was a First Team All-American in '81 and finished as the national tournament batting champion with a .391 average. She toured Japan for two weeks with the All-American softball team and was part of the first China-USA-Japan women's softball championship.
Macomb returned to nationals in 1982 and placed fifth. She was an alternate for the Pan-American softball team in 1983 as the team was the Midwest Region runner-up, then made a return appearance to nationals in 1984. She was named to the Illinois Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2000, Illinois Valley Central HS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and in 2008 the Macomb Magic was named to the Illinois Amateur Association Hall of Fame.
Cutright taught physical education for 12 years at the Decatur (IL) public schools and Illinois Valley Central school district. She spent three years as an ESE reading teacher Kissimmee Middle School (Osceola, Florida).
Cutright returned to Western from 1984-86 as an assistant softball coach, and the 1987 season at Colorado State. For eight years she worked as an addictions counselor in Pekin and Decatur, and release and re-entry case manager at the Decatur Women's Correctional Center.
In 2001 she earned her master's of education degree in Counselor Education from Eastern Illinois University. She has spent the last three years as an ESE Reading teacher at Lake Alfred-Addair Middle School with the Polk County schools in Florida. Cutright and her father currently reside in Winter Haven, Florida.
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