Heading into the final weeks of the season, the Gladwin softball team had posted some memorable wins, come up just a little shy of winning the Jack Pine Conference championship and proven itself to be capable of making a strong run in the state tournament.
Oh, and Dana Fennell was taking a shot at the state record for home runs.
The senior had launched 15 with two tournaments, a doubleheader with Midland Dow and the state tournament left on the schedule.
The record is 18.
“I’m feeling the pressure,” Fennell said, “but I really don’t think about it that much. I’ve already broken my own school record and, even if I don’t hit another one, that is still an accomplishment. I’m not trying super-hard to break it, but a lot of people are talking about it and encouraging me and it would be awesome.”
Fennell hit six bombs last year, and that was enough to set the record at Gladwin.
Since then, she has worked on her game, playing summer ball and hitting in the cages and she added a little something that might not make a lot of sense at first thought.
“I played slow-pitch,” she said, “and I really think that helped a little. You have to stay back and wait on the pitches and I started hitting the ball pretty far. I even won the home run derby and that kind of surprised me.”
As the homer count mounts, teams felt less and less inclined to give Fennell anything to hit, but she is taking all of that in stride.
“I have tried to hit a few pitches that were maybe out of the zone, but if they walk me and I score a run, that’s good for the team,” she said.
Gladwin coach Jill Keefer isn’t crazy about the whole slow-pitch thing, but she will take all the bombs she can get from Fennell.
“She’s put Gladwin softball on the map, for sure,” Keefer said. “She’s a strong girl and she has worked hard on her hitting. Last year, the slower pitchers gave her some problems, but she is more disciplined now. She can wait on her pitch and she knows when to drive it.”
Fennell also contributes with the glove, seeing action as a shortstop, catcher and pitcher.
“She’s just an excellent all-around player,” Keefer said.
Fennell has signed to play college ball next year at Delta.