MABEN — There was a point in the season when Katie Gordon couldn”t connect with a softball and keep from popping out.
Changing from slow- to fast-pitch softball requires hitters to go through a transition period in changing their swings. Hitters must refrain from dropping their hands so they can drive the ball instead of putting it in the air.
Admittedly, Gordon, an East Webster High School sophomore, took longer to correct her swing than all of her teammates.
“It seemed like nobody had a bigger problem with it than me,” she said. “It was frustrating”
Extra repetitions after practice with her father and coach Maleah Brown helped level Gordon”s stroke, and it wasn”t long before she developed a reputation as a clutch hitter.
Gordon showed her penchant for key hits Saturday in East Webster”s 6-2 win against Mantachie that sent them to the Class 2A North State final against Hatley.
Gordon had one hit Saturday but drove in three runs in the win.
For Brown, it was the same story, different game.
“I told Katie if she wants to consistently hit at this level, you”ve got to hit line drives and ground balls,” Brown said. “It”s not Little League, and you can”t burn people anymore. Finally, when that clicked with her, she”s come through when we needed her to in big games. In games we”ve needed a run, she”ll come through with two outs and a runner on second or third. It”s worked out great.”
East Webster (18-6) will play host to Hatley, which beat them twice this season, at 6:30 tonight and will play at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hatley. It scored three runs in its two regular-season games against Hatley.
East Webster will play its first game on its home field since the regular-season finale April 19. Damages from tornadoes that hit the area April 27 forced East Webster to play away from home in the first rounds of the North State tournament.
Hitting will again be at a premium against pitcher Lesley Hudson, who has a 2.14 ERA and 120 strikeouts this season.
Brown feels her team should be better prepared to face Hudson after having five days of practice before the teams play tonight.
“The first two games, it was all in our heads we couldn”t do it,” Gordon said. “The only thing she does is she has a really good changeup that throws us off. We got down when we played them and concentrated too hard on trying to knock it out, and that messed us up.”
Gordon said getting ahead in the count against Hudson will be pivotal if East Webster wants to make it back to the state title game for the first time since 2009.
“We”ve worked hard to get to this point, so we can”t lose concentration,” Gordon said.
Brown agrees, despite lingering concerns about her team”s fielding. East Webster committed four errors in the Game 2 win against Mantachie, which led to the only two runs it surrendered.
Inconsistent fielding has been an issue for much of the season, including the two losses to Hatley (18-10).
Brown described the fielding as “hot and cold” from game to game.
With the stakes raised, four errors won”t cut it against a team that has beaten them twice and is just as hungry to make it to the state title series. However, Brown is confident they can overcome errors, so long as their not lumped together in one inning.
“And usually, offensively, as long as we”re scoring five or six runs we”ll be fine,” Brown said. “If we can get our bats going against Hatley, we”ll be fine.”
Gordon believes the team”s fielding is better than its hitting entering the North State final because it has addressed the errors in practice.
“We count our errors every game and work on correcting them over and over again,” Gordon said. “But I think we worry more about hitting than fielding because it”s harder to come back when you down. It”s gonna come down to concentration.”
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