Sometimes it takes a little push to get to victory.
“Once another team scores on our team, it usually kicks our butt to go score some more and do better,” said Evangel freshman Maddy Meierer. “So we scored three more runs in that inning.”
That go-ahead sixth inning brought the Evangel softball team to a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) regular season title. The Valor will compete in the NAIA national tournament for the first time since 2008.
“It goes all the way back to August when we started,” said Evangel sophomore Kenna Mayfield. “Every single practice worked toward this moment and we still got to be grinding it out and working hard every single day. It’s not done yet.”
In just her first year at Evangel, Nixa native Meierer is 14-and-1 in the circle.
“She is gifted in a way that she is taking the bull by the horns,” said Evangel Head Coach Jay Halbrook.
Mayfield, a sophomore and former Ozark Tiger, is another key factor for the Valor. Underclassmen stepped up this season, but she credits the seniors for showing them the ropes.
“Our seniors have done a great job leading us and guiding us and being good examples,” Mayfield said. “Our motto here is ‘soul’ and it stands for selflessness, ownership, unity, and larger purpose. We really try to incorporate that into our team.”
Head Coach Halbrook sees his team displaying that motto, the larger purpose specifically.
“It’s the culture, it’s the belief in one another, the playing for one another and all of those pieces coming together in the right way…that complete buy-in we call it soul’d out,” Halbrook said.
The pieces came together for the Valor and now they get their chance at a postseason run.
