Sophomore hitting .609 in Bobcats' 5-1 stretch
BEAVER — If last season taught Lexi Dawson and her Beaver softball teammates anything, it’s that there needs to be a careful balance in their approach to the game. It’s important to be focused and locked in, but it’s also important to have fun and to not be tense.
In a 10-7 season that ended in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs, Dawson said she and her teammates sometimes got too uptight, while at the same time also overlooked opponents, like in their playoff loss to Elizabeth Forward.
With a year under their belts, Beaver has been able to find the right balance in mental approach. Dawson, particularly, has shined. A sophomore, Dawson has hit .609 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and 14 RBIs. The Bobcats are 5-1 thus far, having most recently routed Central Valley, one of the top competitors in their section, 16-0. Dawson had four hits in the game, including two doubles and a home run. For her efforts, Dawson is the Times’ Girls Athlete of the Week.
“Last year we felt pressured because of the class that graduated the year before. This year we’re just taking it easy,” Dawson said. “Plus, this year we’re not taking any team lightly. We’re preparing for each game like it’s the hardest team we’re going to ever play.”
Dawson’s improvement this season has been emblematic of the team’s improvement. Last season, Dawson often got tense at the plate. This year, she’s been anything but.
“I feel like I’m seeing the ball well and relaxing. Last year as a freshman I was uptight and a little worried all the time. But this year I’m just having fun and doing my best. I trust my team that if I make mistakes, they can pick it up for me,” Dawson said.
“I’m more laid back this year. I’m more in my element and more relaxed and ready to play every game. It’s cliche, but when you have fun, you usually play looser and better.”
For Dawson, hard work over the off-season has paid off. Having pinpointed hitting as an area for improvement, Dawson started taking hitting lessons, and has since reaped the benefits.
“All the time I spent there and in travel baseball have really helped me work on my swing and better myself as a player,” Dawson said. “I was a little behind last year. I thought I wasn’t doing as well as I could, so I just focused real hard on hitting and keeping my eye on the ball and focusing and relaxing when I’m up to bat.”
Hitting has been contagious throughout the whole Bobcat lineup. Beaver has scored double digit runs in each of its five wins and averaged 12.5 runs a game. Dawson credits part of the success to senior Paige Ziggas and freshman Anna Blum for setting the table at the beginning of the lineup for the rest of the team, like Dawson, who hits fourth.
“Our bats have definitely come alive this season. That’s one of the assets of our team,” Dawson said. “We hit for power, we hit for average. And once one player hits, it’s usually a chain reaction and we just keep hitting the ball.”
Perennially one of the best teams in their section, the Bobcats have high expectations this season. Dawson said she’d like to win the section championship and make a deep playoff run. The only thing that can stop them from getting there, Dawson believes, is themselves.
“I think the team, we definitely have the capability to do it,” Dawson said. “We have the girls and the talent and the coaching. We have everything we need, we just need to get it in drive."