Only three more days of school left! Hallelujah. I’m only one quiz and three exams away from being the equivalent of a professional athlete, where I don’t have to do anything but sleep, eat and practice, free from the stressful subplot of a student-athlete’s life-- that inconvenient and inconsequential thing called a DEGREE.
MICHIGAN STATE
Game 1
Yes, our rival teams have most likely seen our stats, but the first game of any Big Ten series, we always want to make a statement and leave a sort of “Yes, even with you, the rumors are true” impression. Their field was 200 down the lines and 220 in center, (the odds of hitting one out are pretty slim) and our hitters naturally switch over to “double-mode” and just try to hit the gaps. But Acon always seems to find a way to show us up at the funniest, but most perfect times, popping one off into the forest behind left field to draw first blood. But don’t be fooled- that homerun was less of an RBI and more of a dare the rest of us to top it. – In the 7th, after 7 runs composed of walks, singles and errors later- Meredith answered with a laser hit over the right field wall that bounced onto a picnic table.
Meanwhile, Moni, once again, shut down the Spartan offense. What more can I say? While I never tire of bragging on my teammates, I, Hope Emily Howell, am running out of things to say! –I know, inconceivable, right? Hell just froze over….which probably means a cold double header on Wednesday. But seriously, if you haven’t seen Moni when she’s on, it should definitely be on all y’all’s “Things to Do Before I Die” list.
Our game was broadcast on the Big Ten Network and later, my Dad asked why we would try to get the lead out when we had a 6 –run lead. I told him that’s just our mentality this year. We understand that our level of play can’t depend on the caliber of teams we face. In February, when we played then-ranked Fresno State at Stanford, although we were up by 5, we still acted like the game was 0-0. So honestly, our approach with Michigan State shouldn’t have been any different. In order to be a championship team, we have to act accordingly. So whether we’re up by 13 or down by 3, we’re still challenging ourselves, trying to fine-tune our play and strive for excellence because that’s what going to help us in postseason. We work so hard, and it’s amazing to see us all have our best performances in May, because it’s not an accident- we’ve prepared for it all year.
Game 2
Contrary to our game plan, we didn’t exactly end the game early, but felt in control the entire time. Vaji put us on the board with a bases-clearing triple. Once again, it’s something about playing shallow that insults slappers. The funny thing about slappers is they lift as much as we do, they just run faster. Wouldn’t that make them more of a threat? Vaji’s RBIs would suggest so. Later, Kelley hit a solo shot and Vaji, Z and I combined for another run. Once again, Pepper guarded our runs, teasing the batters with her best pitches (not to mention Audrey knows just what pitches to call and when to call ‘em), which shut them out, with only 4 hits in 7 innings.
In closing, while it may seem like our regular season is coming to a close, we still have so many things we want to accomplish. It’s kind of ironic, really. Once your team finally starts to get the recognition it’s deserved all along, you don’t just read the rankings, plop on the couch and say “Ah, finally;” your reaction is to go to the field early, lift more, watch more tape- anything in your power- because you know that you’re no longer a secret to the competition and the fight to stay on top will be even harder. But make no mistake, hard work is kind of addicting at the same time. For instance, this week I must have hit over 100 balls off the low-out tee because our coaching staff guaranteed they’d throw it to me. I got caught every time I tried to move the tee higher and hated every minute of that stupid drill; but when this weekend, when I recognized that pitch and drove it, it’s hard not to catch the fever. Standing on 2nd base, it’s hard to say to whom I’m more grateful- Coach or the pitcher.
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