Freshman Sarah Meyerl steps up to home plate, bat in hand, anxiously awaiting the pitcher’s first ball. The pitcher throws the ball right down the middle of the diamond to her bat.

Meyerl swings and hits the ball with a resounding crack. It soars towards centerfield, and she takes off running. When she passes first base and sees the ball sailing over the center fielder’s head, Meyerl speeds past second before landing at third, with a roar of cheers coming from the crowd.

“To date, we have had only two triples this season,” coach Jack Westermeyer said. “They are rare, and [it’s] even more rare for a freshman to come into the IAAM A Conferences and hit with the power she does.”

According to Westermeyer, in a team of around 20 girls at bat, Meyerl ranks first in the number of triples hit, second in the number of runs scored, and second in the number of bases stolen.

Additionally, Meyerl has played all 12 games of the season, and has the most playing time of any freshman.

Meyerl, known as “Little Murrell,” plays third base for the varsity team and is second in the batting lineup. She has been playing softball for seven years. “It’s weird to see myself playing at this level,” Meyerl said.

“There were many nerves [for my first varsity game],” Meyerl said. “But once I got out there and started playing, it was amazing.”

“She’s one of the fastest on the team,” captain and junior Molly Exter said. “She can always get to the ball on time.”

Meyerl started playing softball in second grade, following in the footsteps of her older sisters. In fact, Meyerl’s sister Emily, a junior, plays on the varsity team as well.

Although Emily is injured and can no longer play, she still goes to watch the games and cheer her sister on. “It brings me so much joy because [of how much] I’ve seen her grow,” Emily said. “It’s nice to see her fall in love with a sport.”

“I love having [Emily] there,” Meyerl said. “She’s the one person that has always been there for me and she always encourages me.”

According to Meyerl, softball is her release. “I’ve gone through a lot of [problems] in my life recently, but when I play softball, it’s like all [those problems] just go away.”

In her seven years of playing softball, Meyerl says that the most important thing she has learned is teamwork. “You always need teamwork,” Meyerl said. “You can’t do anything on your own.”

“It is an honor to be her coach, and I look forward to the next three years as she matures as a speedy, power-hitting infielder,” Westermeyer said. “Let the A Conference be aware of Little Murrell.”

Angela DeCarlo is a Copy Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.