Turns out one home run was nothing.
We posted on social media after Malia Van Doren‘s first blast of Friday’s game against Calgary which was a two-run shot to left-centre in the bottom of the second that gave Lethbridge an early edge. A fair-enough moment for a highlight. Except Van Doren wasn’t done.
Two innings later, with the bases loaded in a six-run third, she stepped back in and launched her first career grand slam to left, blowing the game open and putting Lethbridge in front for good, 8-5.
By the final out, Lethbridge had pulled away 9-6. Van Doren finished 2-for-3, both hits leaving the yard, a 2.667 slugging percentage, and six RBIs on the day.
What stood out as much as the power was how little it seemed to rattle her. Van Doren plays with a steady, even-keeled presence in the box, and she says that’s by design. She said she is intentional about not letting one at-bat bleed into the next. “Coach Vince told me before the game to just relax and bat,” she said. “So there really wasn’t anything going on in my mind. I was just trying to stay relaxed and hit a strong ball.”
After the first homer, she admitted there was excitement under the surface, but with that much game left, she kept her focus forward. The grand slam, though, cracked the composure open just a bit.
Her reaction, in full:
“Woah. That was pretty cool.”
Which, for a player this even-keeled, is basically a fireworks show.
Ask her about her approach at the plate, and it comes back to the same mindset: stay relaxed, and trust that no matter who’s pitching, she can hit off her. And so far, that’s proven to be true.
Lethbridge takes on Regina tomorrow morning at 11am. Tune in to see if Van Doren’s bat stays this hot the rest of the weekend.
Players Mentioned
Select a player to view their profile.
Discover more from WCSA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
