“Battling it out for the home runs with Rae, it’s been very fun actually,” Mt. Vernon senior Cheyenne Bieber said.
“I set it at the beginning of the season last year and every time one of us hits a home run, we just rebreak the record,” Mt. Vernon senior Rae Downing said.
“I hit two and I needed one to catch her and I was really excited about it,” said Cheyenne. “And then she hit a home run.”
The race is on for the most career home runs for the Mount Vernon softball program. Rae Downing currently has 24 and Cheyenne Bieber sits at 20.
“I think we need to finish in a tie,” Rae said. ” She’s got the doubles record and I’ve got the triples record and then we both can have that home run record. That would be cute.”
Rae and Cheyenne are stacking up records in the second and third hole of the lineup.
And there is a leadoff Lady Neer who gets to watch those home run balls fly over her head.
“I bunt and I get on,” said Mt. Vernon senior Molly Daniels. “I love stealing. I love sliding. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen me slide, but I slide and I pop up slide and I always I have a little swagger with it.”
Molly has the Lady Neers’ third most stolen bases and leads the season in at bats .
“We started stacking what we consider our best hitters in the 1-2-3 [spot] so that they’re getting the most at bats and the most opportunities. ,” said Mt. Vernon Head Softball Coach Matt Schubert. “You look at these guys and Cheyenne is hitting .540 [batting average] on the season and Molly is at .512 [batting average] and and Rae is at .494 [batting average].”
The Lady Neers proving that good things come in threes, defensively too. With Molly at shortstop, Rae catching and Cheyenne pitching or in center field.
“It’s been great having right back there [behind the plate],” Cheyenne said. “She’s the best catcher I’ve had my whole my whole life playing softball.”
“[Molly and Cheyenne] are the kind of people that, when they’re at the plate or when a ball is hit to them, I’m like, oh, they got it like and it’s nice to have that relief because this year I’ve been calling pitches,” Rae said.
Taking on big responsibilities behind the plate, but still having fun. You can see it and hear it from the team.
“Love the walk up songs so much,” Molly said. “If you watch me before my at bats, I’m singing my own songs. I just like the beginning ‘motor sport put that thing in sport’.”
“With my song being Something Bad by Carrie Underwood, everybody else knows that something bad is going to happen,” Cheyenne said. “Whenever I step up to the plate it gives me so much confidence walking up there, I love it.”
Whatever it takes to power this trio in their final season as a Lady Neer.
