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Sports

Zumwalt East Junior Patience Pays Off at the Plate

Kristin Mikel is helping the Lions softball team this season.

Although the softball team failed to pull out a win against , junior Kristin Mikel certainly turned in a banner performance. 

Mikel went 3-for-4 at bat in the 4-3 loss. She doubled in the first and third innings and singled in the eighth. The junior had compiled a .278 batting average before Tuesday’s contest. She’s unwilling to hog all of the credit for her success. 

“We worked on hitting yesterday,” Mikel said. “I was struggling on hitting over the summer but he’s (East Coach Steve Loutzenhiser) helped me out a lot.” 

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Mikel said she was struggling on hitting to the opposite side (right) over the summer with her select team the St. Peters Mustangs. The junior also said Loutzenhiser taught her how to be patient and wait for the pitcher to pitch. 

Mikel played junior varsity softball for two years before starting her varsity career this year. East dropped to 8-7 with the loss on Tuesday. Mikel feels her team has made progress. 

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“At the beginning of the year we were a little iffy,” she said. “But since that time we’ve come together a lot.” 

The junior is a diverse player. She played third base on Tuesday but has also played left field, centerfield, and first base this season. 

“I’ve played softball my whole life so I can play just about anywhere,” she said. 

Not a one-sport athlete, the junior played soccer her freshman year and has logged in two-years with East’s girls basketball team and plans on a third this winter. 

“I just love sports,” she said. “It’s all that I do.” 

In the last two years Mikel has played both point and shooting guard for East. She says she gives her full attention to whatever sport she’s playing and won’t be thinking much about basketball season until it comes.  

An athlete with goals, Mikel said she wants to improve her hitting in softball and would like to continue to play the sport in college. At this time she’s undecided as to where she would like to play. 

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