Gibsonburg's Hall morphs into hitter after summoning confidence
Home runs giveth, and then they give more.
They’re an obvious indicator of power and scoring. Home runs also lead to more power.
Gibsonburg sophomore Leah Hall has three home runs through 14 games. The left fielder batted ninth and her freshman season was one prolonged offensive slump in her mind.
“I really couldn’t tell you,” she said of what has changed.
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Well, if you don’t have confidence, you won’t be a productive batter. Hall has confidence now, more with each round trip.
She was seventh in the lineup and hit a home run in a 9-7 loss to Hopewell-Loudon early in the season. She bats cleanup now for Gibsonburg (8-6, 3-5) and added one home run against Port Clinton and another against Lakota in victories.
“I wanted to get on base more,” she said. “I didn’t do much base running last year. I struck out all the time. All the encouragement from everybody in my life. My parents, ‘Your confidence. Your confidence.’ My team and my coaches helped to bring that up.”
She has a hit in 25 of 52 at-bats (.481). She drove in 17 runs and struck out eight times.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said. “It started rolling and it carried on.”
Aaron Hall and Nikki Hall started taking their daughter to the diamond as a youngster. They’d still go if Hall needed.
“They’ve always supported me everything I do,” she said.
Hall also took a boost from helping girls basketball advance to regional for the first time in program history last season.
“I played a role; that gave me a little confidence for the next varsity sport.”
It also feels good to start any season after finishing the last among the final four in the state.
“We had those big teams going to state, it was crazy to go 20 years later,” Hall said. “I don’t think anybody expected us to go to state, but I was looking forward to the season. We had good seniors and a good team coming up.”
Pitcher Jenna Bloomfield continued her career at Toledo. Her bat isn’t the type to simply slide in a replacement but somebody has to post in the circle.
Arianna Aldrich takes the spot after returning to softball for the first time since middle school.
“We’re so glad she came back,” Hall said. “Coming back to fill that role meant a lot. She’s a great team player.”
Catcher Cheyenne Reese and first baseman Emily Henderson are Hall’s classmates. Freshmen Emma Jividen and Ashlyn Wightman share right field as more youth in the group.
“Starting catcher as a freshman, she did such a good job,” Hall said. “She’s a great catcher, defense, throwing people out at second base and she stops balls. She hits, too.”
Senior center fielder Mariah McNett provides leadership. She hit five home runs last season.
Hall might not be sure where the sudden surge came from at the plate. If she doesn’t know, opponents might be less likely to figure out how to solve her as well.
“It shows my coaches and teammates have confidence in me and that makes me confident in the role,” she said. “I like the role.”
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Gibsonburg Golden Bears OHSAA Leah Hall softball
