There’s about a month to go in the high school softball season, and Hartland coach Taylor Wagner is pleasd with her team’s 14-1 start, one that has her team atop the KLAA West.
But the bottom line most people look at — a win-loss record —isn’t necessarily her bottom line.
“The key is staying healthy and getting the rep you need to essentially maintain but still learn and grow,’ she said.
That should be tested today,when the Eagles travel to Howell for a doubleheader with the Highlanders. Both games will be broadcast by The Livingston Post, starting at 3:50 p.m. Click here for the link.
Both teams, along with Novi, are part of a three-team race at the top of the standings. Hartland is in first with an 8-0 division record, followed by Novi (7-1 in the West) and Howell (11-6 overall, 6-2 West).
The Eagles are led by Kylie Swierkos, who has walked only three batters and struck out 120 in 72 2/3 innings and is Hartland’s leading hitter, batting .452 on the season.
“She’s fun to watch,” Wagner said. “She wants the ball and knows what to do with it. We know she’s going to do her job, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach. And she’s got a great defense behind her.”
The Eagles will need to operate on all cylinders against a Howell offense that has a team batting average of .405 and is averaging nearly nine runs per game.
“They’ve been putting up a lot of runs,” Howell coach Scott Pasini said. “We have a strong core of seniors, and they’re excited to play ball with all the bad weather we’ve had.”
The Highlanders are led by Allison Caldwell, who’s hitting .500 with 20 RBIs, Natalie Savage (.434 and 22 runs batted in), Jada Challis (.405, 4 home runs) and Delany Gillett (.480, 7-4 record as a pitcher).
Howell has won it last three in a row after losing four of five in a tournament at Wixom last month.
“We ran into some really good teams,” Pasini said. “We didn’t play well in the cold, and we’re making no excuses but we’re ready for some warmer weather, for sure.”
Wednesday’s doubleheader will be highlighted by Swierkos, who has a 9-1 record with an ERA of 1.06 and has allowed just 29 hits this seas0n, against Gillett, a senior who is 7-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 53 1/3 innings.
Pasini also has three other pitchers he’s working into a rotation, trying to develop for the future while aiming for positive results this spring.
Early in May, Wagner says it’s important to keep morale high before the state tournaent begins.
“This is a big part of the season for the mental game, ” she said. “We’re working with a lot of things toward the end of the school year. There’s testing, and prom coming up. It’s a stressful time for student-athletes. There’s balancing a lot of thing, which is hard for any group to do.”
The weather may or may not be frightful, but the matchup appears delightful as the season heads into the home stretch.
