Kelley Montalvo has given up on the idea of ever being 5 feet tall.
The former University of Alabama softball player from Miami, however, still isn't giving in to the limitations that might be expected from her stature.
The third baseman for the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch league, who turns 29 on Sunday, is in her seventh year as a professional. Her college coach, Patrick Murphy, long ago gave up on selling Montalvo short.
"It's unreal, especially for somebody like her who's 4-foot-10 1/2, and people told her all her life she wouldn't be able to play Division I softball, much less professional," Murphy said.