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Lady Panthers powering up with long balls

Liberty Hill’s increased home-run production has fueled o ense

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH SPORTS EDITOR

The dimensions of Liberty Hill’s so ball field are the same this season as last year – 197 feet down the le -field line, 196 to right and 204 to dead center.

Which means it only seems as if the fences have moved in as the Lady Panthers’ power production has increased significantly during the current campaign.

Last season as a team, Liberty Hill hit 29 home runs, with Kylie Kirk and Rylee Slimp tied for the individual lead with seven each.

Through the opening three games of district play this season, the Purple-and-Gold had already pounded 32 home runs in the first 20 contests and Kirk had matched her seven for the entire previous year.

So, what’s with the pop in the Lady Panthers’ bats this season?

According to head coach Kristen Brewer, her team is simply finally tapping into a power source that was there all along waiting to be unleashed – albeit with a different approach at the plate.

“We’ve always had the ability,” said Brewer. “But, now we’re being more aggressive as far as having smart at-bats.”

Brewer said a big part of that has been her hi ers’ willingness to take what pitchers give them and make the most of it.

“We’re not waiting for the perfect pitch anymore,” she said. “We’re a acking the ball a lot more and are ready to swing.”

Kirk said with power threats throughout the entire lineup, each hi er can take a more relaxed approach at the plate knowing if she can’t get it done, someone else will.

“It’s a really good feeling knowing anyone can hit one out,” she said. “We’ve all put a lot of work in.”

Ge ing hold of a pitch and turning it into a souvenir is perhaps her greatest joy on the diamond, said Kirk.

“Amazing,” she said. “But, I’m really just trying to be productive and do whatever the team needs from me.”

One of the newest long-ball lashers is sophomore outfielder Addison Shiffle , who has burst onto the varsity scene this season with a maturity beyond a player of her relative inexperience, said Brewer.

“Addison has played a lot of so ball over the years,” she said. “She’s also played up against higher age groups in select, which has go en her a lot of good experience in facing be er pitchers and she also has the right mentality in that everything she does on the field matters to her.”

One of the Lady Panthers’ varsity returners this season is junior Cadence Wiese, who has turned a corner from a mentality standpoint, said Brewer.

“Cadence is a completely different player now than she was last year,” she said. “She’s always been a good hitter, but in the past she wanted to hit so bad, she would get in her own head a li le bit.

Now, that’s not the case anymore.”

Brewer added a large part of the Lady Panthers’ success this season has been the cohesiveness of her entire roster.

“It really makes a huge difference when players buy in and it’s not just about ‘me,’” she said. “I keep telling them we’re going to need everybody this season and everyone has a role. Whether that’s as a hi er, a pitcher, a base runner or whatever it is and that might even change during the season. Nobody needs to go out there and be a hero – we just need to pass the bat.”