It took the hit parade a couple of innings to get started Monday night, but once it got going there wasn't much that could slow it down for the Midland Valley softball team.
The Mustangs continued their strong start to Region 4-AAAA play with a 12-2 win in five innings at South Aiken, which pushed their record to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the region heading into Tuesday night's home game against Airport.
"They took a breath (after trailing 2-0), and next thing I knew they saw one through and everybody else followed the lead," said first-year head coach Katie Anderson. "They were just seeing everything and hitting everything, anywhere."
The offense has been strong to start the season, with the Mustangs batting for a team average of .376. Seven different players are batting above .300, with Macee McCollum (.409), Jordan Nelson (.500) and Anslee Heath (.560) holding the highest averages.
Heath and Nelson share the team lead with two home runs, and each hit one Monday. So did Katie Downs, who was one of just two seniors in the starting lineup. Appearances in the pitching circle have been split between freshman Karley Bedenbaugh and sophomore Larue Hicks, and the two have combined for a 1.40 ERA to start the season.
Anderson knew when she accepted the job that there was a lot of young, yet experienced, talent on the roster, and she's seen firsthand as those players have continued to grow and develop.
"They're the ones that put in the most work," she said. "Anything I ask them to do, they do it. They were swinging, at the beginning of the year, 31 and 32 (ounce) bats. We've got them to 33 and 34s, and they're just swinging the bat. Getting stronger, working out, the whole nine. They've bought into it, and they're giving it their all."
Anderson said she didn't really feel any pressure taking over the Midland Valley program following the departure of Michelle Yeater, an eight-time Region Coach of the Year who had been at the school for 29 years and is now athletic director at A.C. Flora. If anything, she felt excitement about jumping right in and keeping a good thing going.
"I think knowing that this group of girls really love the sport" contributed to that excitement, she said. "It's hard to find anymore, and it's just refreshing to see their love for the game."
The message after Monday's win was to keep the same energy moving forward. There is no time to sit back and relax, with Tuesday's game against Airport and then a return visit from South Aiken on Wednesday before tournament play in town this weekend. Then it's back into the region grind after Spring Break, and the final series of the regular season could again have the region title on the line as the Mustangs face North Augusta.
Now's the time of the season where teams can't afford to take a day off, and the prospect of having that time away from school could cause players to lose some of their focus. If these Mustangs approach that stretch with the same work ethic and enthusiasm they've already shown their coach, then there shouldn't be too much to worry about.
"Oh, they're so much fun. I love it. I love every day," Anderson said. "Practice, games, they're just a great group of girls to be around. They love the sport. They love to be out here. They love to work hard, and it's just a great group to be with."
