Get the ball in the air and every single swing we take we want to do damage.
That has been the philosophy at home plate for the Cardinals for two seasons now. While it did take some adjusting to, that mindset has begun to click with Ball State in big ways.
Winning 10 of their last 11, Ball State Softball (22-10, 0-0 MAC) had another strong showing this weekend at Mercer Bears Classic, picking up four more wins and outscoring their opposition 40-19. The Cardinals connected with just about everything, registering 52 hits over the course of five games.
"We had some young kids really set up at the play and Haley Dominique continues to be dynamic for us in lead off position," head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett said. "We got some really strong performances on the mound from four different pitchers. Anytime you're super tough on the mound and racking the ball around, things are going to happen."
Freshman Amaia Daniel had a break out performance this weekend, knocking in not just her first home run of the season, but three over the course of the tournament. Daniel brought in the winning runs against South Dakota and Mercer in a comeback effort against the Bears.
"I was seeing the ball really well and I was making a few adjustments in the box," Daniel said. "There were a few moments where I saw opportunities to come in clutch for my team. I just gripped down, saw the ball and did what was best for my team."
Outside of Daniel, three other freshman shot the ball over the fence five seprate times. The freshman core has played a major role for the Cardinals, combining for 48 runs this season.
"The future is bright for the program," Bartlett said. "These kids are talented and they're starting to get a lot of experience under their belt. This team has really got the best of both worlds in some veterans that have tons of experience, are mentoring and have just invested themselves into the program. Depth is our strength and the girls embrace that.
One player who locked down on home plate and inside the circle was freshman Sarah Venker. The pitcher not only picked up her 10th win, but she batted home her first career home run en route to comeback win against Mercer.
"It's always exciting, as a pitcher, when you get to hit and help out your team from both sides of the plate," Venker said. "It was challenging, but they [Mercer] put the ball in play a lot, but our defense did great, I felt good on the mound and hitting my first home run was super exciting."
In her first season in the circle with the Cardinals, Venker has stood out in Ball State's pitching unit. She leads in wins at 10-2, striking out 69 batters this season and allowing only 48 hits. After her performance against Mercer, Venker has proven she can lock in for her team on offense and defense.
"Sarah's an extremely talented athlete," Bartlett said. "She not only got three wins this weekend , but she hit a two run home run to pull the game within one. Sarah does it all. She's polished, a competitor and she has more ability in her pinky than most people have in their body."
Finishing up their non-conference slate, Ball State has faced teams from all over the country, offering varying styles of play. The team believes that this is beneficial in Mid-American Conference play as each team brings something different to the park.
"The MAC is such a close race every spring and we're going to have to stay locked in and focused," Bartlett said. "If execute the way we're capable, we're going to be in good shape, but it's going to be about executing every single play. We're going to have to bring our best focus and energy to the ballpark."
Ball State will open up MAC play against Akron in a three game series kicking off Friday.
Contact Jack Williams with any comments at jgwilliams@bsu.edu or on Twitter @jackgwilliams
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