KUTZTOWN, PA (May 13, 2010) – Nicole Henninger has had no problems fitting in with the Kutztown University softball team. She has affectionately been called “Wing Nut” by head coach Judy Lawes. Her teammates enjoy her so much that she had difficulty completing a recent interview because Brie Knipe continued picking with her and making Henninger laugh.
After a two-year absence from the softball field, Henninger is quickly making up for lost time. The sophomore third baseman led the Golden Bears with 10 home runs and 47 runs batted in during a memorable 2010 season. Her efforts have helped Kutztown post its fourth consecutive 40-win season and advance to the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament for the eighth straight year.
The third-seeded Golden Bears (41-16 overall) begin tournament play against sixth-seeded Shepherd University Friday afternoon at California University's Lilly Field beginning at 2:30 p.m. In the other game at Cal, the second-seeded and host Vulcans meet seventh-seeded Fairmont State in the opening game of the tournament at noon.
“The team has been great and very welcoming,” Henninger said. “They didn't look at me any differently and they looked at me as their equal. It was nice to help them out as much as I was able to this season. It's been a great experience.”
Henninger announced her presence with authority during one memorable week in March, which earned her Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division Player of the Week honors after slugging seven home runs during a five-game stretch.
The stretch of unfathomable hitting started when she hit two home runs in a game against Wheeling-Jesuit. It continued with a monster afternoon during a doubleheader sweep at Millersville in which she hit a pair of homers in each victory. In the opening game of that doubleheader, Henninger slugged a game-winning three-run home run that sailed over the second fence at Millersville.
Henninger finished the week by lofting a game-winning two-run home run in the first game of a doubleheader against East Stroudsburg.
“That was pretty unreal and a little surreal to be honest with you,” Henninger said. “I was seeing the ball really well that week. I was in a groove and now I have to find it again.”
Opposing pitchers found a way to cool Henninger off by not pitching to her. Henninger began drawing plenty of walks and having her patience tested. She rarely got good pitches to hit and when she did, Henninger was slightly late with her swing. It led to a prolonged slump and forced Lawes to move Henninger around in the line-up.
“I am not really patient,” Henninger said. “I just had to take the good with the bad. I had to learn to take pitches that I normally wouldn't take. Also, I had to be selective. The pitchers are not always going to give me the pitches I want. I think I am seeing the ball a little better than I was earlier.
She batted eighth in Kutztown's last regular season game against the University of the Sciences. Henninger drove in three runs in the doubleheader sweep. There are signs that Henninger is regaining her mojo at the plate. She has made some slight adjustments and instead of trying to hit home runs, she has focused on putting the ball in play. Henninger has at least one hit in three of Kutztown's last four games. Even though Henninger has not hit a home run since March 26, she is showing signs of detonating.
“The potential for her in any tournament is huge especially with the way she swings and the power she has,” Lawes said. “If she gets hot at the right time, she can flat out win games for our team. We're kind of hoping that happens. She's working hard and we'll see how it goes. We're not putting pressure on her but we know what she's capable of.”
--KU--
