Timing is everything for C-M softball
The cumulative statistics for the Canon-McMillan High School softball team last year didn’t show struggles.
Averaging slightly below nine runs per game, hitting .392 as a team and slugging 18 home runs is exactly what Big Macs coach Michele Moeller pinpointed as the key to team’s success.
“Hitting breeds more hitting. It’s contagious,” Moeller said after her team returned from North Carolina at the beginning of last season.
But when infectious hitting mattered most, the Big Macs’ lineup went colder than March temperatures, though Canon-McMillan finished the regular season and entered the WPIAL playoffs with a 10-4 record.
In three of the Big Macs’ final four games, including a WPIAL first-round playoff loss to North Allegheny, they failed to scored more than two runs.
“We peaked too early last year,” Moeller said. “We need to hit late. Our batting has went away (at the end) in the last two years. Not to take anything away (from our opponents), but we shouldn’t be batting that way at the end of the season. We have to peak at the right time.”
To combat the late-season lulls, Moeller decided against the team’s previous schedule of working in November, December and nearly all of January. Instead, C-M’s “aggressive” fall tournament schedule was followed with some rest until mid-January.
“We made those adjustments to our conditioning and practice schedules to hopefully combat (the struggles) a little better,” Moeller said.
It helps that most of those who contributed to the incredibly high team batting average return.
Leading six returning starters is center fielder Kylah Kubiczki, who finished with a team-high .523 batting average with four doubles and 12 RBI.
Both corner infielders, first baseman Katelyn Greaves and third baseman Erica Haught, are back for their senior years and will hit in the heart of the C-M lineup. Greaves matched Kubiczki’s 12 RBI with a .475 average. Haught hit .382 with 13 RBI and three home runs.
With a mixed bag of five seniors, three sophomores and 13 freshmen, Moeller believes the group as a whole might be the biggest difference.
Leading the group of underclassmen is outfielder Lindsay Schmidt, who as a freshman led the Big Macs in RBI (27), doubles (5) and tied for the lead in home runs (4).
“I think we are deeper this year,” Moeller said. “We have more depth all around.”
An area where C-M needs depth is inside the pitcher’s circle. The Big Macs return Abi Michelucci to go with freshmen Elika Mowery and Lauren Duke. Mechelucci had a 9-4 record and a 3.04 ERA last year.
“Abi had a lot to overcome last year,” Moeller said. “We had a backup behind her that had some arm issues. So it was just Abi, and that’s a lot of pressure when games got canceled and you are playing all those games back to back. There are a lot of teams in our section that can knock others off. It will be a battle all the way through.”