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Bernie SB senior brings the 'grit' (and A LOT more) necessary for success
Monday, May 20, 2024
Bernie High School senior Abby Powell prepares to hit against Bloomfield in the recent MSHSAA Class 1 District 3 championship game at Bernie.
Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com
The Bernie High School softball program isn’t deep in seniors, but the players that fill the lineup card for veteran Mule coach Brad Botsch have played a great deal of softball since they began their high school careers.
In the case of fourth-year player Abby Powell, she checks every box that Botsch could ask for in terms of ability and experience.
“I think her experience,” Botsch said of what makes Powell special. “She has played for four years, and she has some toughness and some grit.”
Bernie played its biggest game in program history Monday, facing Ash Grove (23-8) in the MSHSAA Class 1 State Semifinal at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.
It is the first trip to the Final Four for the Mule softball program.
Those aforementioned traits, along with “a strong arm,” according to Botsch, explain why Powell was moved from playing the outfield earlier in her career to catcher over the past few seasons.
“She was a pretty good outfielder, too,” Botsch said.
Powell and designated hitter Elicia Freeman, as well as reserve Piper Winstead, are the three seniors on the Bernie squad, but no one, regardless of age, plays as vital of a role as Powell has.
“(Powell) is one who you can depend on,” Botsch said. “She is going to make contact (at the plate). You just hope that she can handle it and put a good swing on it. If she does, then usually good things happen.”
That was the case in the Class 1 Quarterfinal 3, as Powell had a double, drove in a run, and scored the winning run in a 3-2 victory over Plato.
“This feeling is beyond anything that I have ever felt before,” Powell said of playing this far into the postseason.
Powell’s biggest contribution against Plato was subtle to some, but not to those knowledgeable about the game.
Mule sophomore pitcher Blair Pleimling threw her best game of the entire season, according to Botsch, and as the catcher, Powell was managing her throughout the game.
“Any chance that we get,” Powell said of how often she and Pleimling discuss strategy during the game.
Powell explained that “if she walks somebody,” Powell will tell her that ‘You just need to breathe. You are doing great. Just find your release.’
Powell is constantly talking Pleimling through challenging moments by keeping her confidence high. That belief permeated the entire Bernie program against the Eagles, according to Powell.
“We had a lot of grit,” Powell said of the win. “Both (Botsch and his assistant Jason Long) told us to play with grit. We came out and did that.”
Powell is second on the team in hitting (.400 average) behind sophomore Lexi Dillinger, who also had a double in the Quarterfinal win.
Following a 9-9-1 start to this season, Bernie has now won 13 consecutive games.
“We have worked our tails off,” Powell said. “We have been adding up and adding up to this point.”
The championship game will be on Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. while the third-place game will be today at 4:15 p.m.
At the same time and place as Bernie’s semifinal is being held today, Holcomb (25-4) will play Concordia (28-2) in the other semifinal.
Kennett (24-8) will face Lone Jack (15-9) today at 11 a.m. in the Class 2 semifinal.