Lehigh softball offense hits well despite lack of homers

The Lehigh softball team’s recent 17-game winning streak is the longest in program history.

Before their 3-1 loss to Army on April 27, the the Mountain Hawks last dropped a contest was on March 29 when they were defeated, 9-8, in extra innings by Monmouth University.

They’ve benefitted from a team ERA and fielding percentage that ranks them toward the top of the Patriot League. 

The team gets on base often, stringing hits together and putting up over four times as many runs as their opponents since beginning their winning streak. 

Despite factors on both sides of the ball contributing to the historic run, home runs aren’t one of them. 

Lehigh is near the bottom of the Patriot League’s home run leaderboard for the season, hitting three in their first 13 games. Only five players on the team’s roster have hit a single home run across their 41-game season.

The Mountain Hawks have built an undefeated conference record around consistent contact hitting. The team’s on-base percentage in conference play is .377, a higher mark than their championship-winning team in 2022 and second in the conference to nationally ranked Boston University.

Lehigh has also benefited from a consistent first-year class. Three of their five highest batting averages come from first-year infielders Peyton Sward and Holly Lovett, and first-year designated player Gracie Smith. Sward’s team-leading .424 batting average puts her 31st in the nation.

“When you score a run, it doesn’t matter if it’s a home run or three singles,” Lehigh coach Fran Troyan said. “You still score a run.”

Singles have made up 76.5% of Lehigh’s hits, good for second in the Patriot League. Many of those singles had one thing in common – they didn’t reach the outfield.

In a five-win stretch between April 17-24 against Villanova, Lafayette and Saint Joseph’s, Lehigh had 12 infield singles. Their opponents only had one combined. 

The infield single is an improbable play. There is less than ample time to reach first base to avoid a groundout because infielders have a much shorter distance to throw to make the out.

That five-win stretch saw Lehigh’s opposition get out on 95% of balls hit in the infield while Lehigh only got out on 58.7%.

After hitting a grounder to shortstop during Lehigh’s game against Saint Joseph’s on April 24, senior outfielder Brooke Cannon put her head down and ran.

Cannon had no time to waste.

“I’m pretty fast,” Cannon said. “Even for the small (hits), if I can dig it out, that’s the same as a ball in the gap or even a walk.”

Cannon beat out the throw. She’d come around and score as well. Lehigh hit three infield singles that game as part of an 8-2 win.

The other two infield singles in that game were hit by graduate student outfielder Josie Charles, one of which was to second base. Charles grounded a ball on the same side of the infield she was running toward and, thanks to some hesitation from Saint Joseph’s second baseman, beat a throw and got a Mountain Hawks runner on base.

“I think, honestly, it’s been a really big difference from last year,” Charles said. “We’ve gotten better about stringing those hits together and moving runners.”

Once the runners get on base, the Mountain Hawks find ways to drive them in. Like Cannon, Charles is top 10 in the conference in stolen bases. Sward is as well. They’ve all helped pave the way for Lehigh to score 79 runs in their first 13 conference games.

They’ve gone undefeated in the process.

When asked about his team’s ability on the basepaths, Troyan kept it short.

“Speed doesn’t slump,” Troyan said.

The Lehigh softball team will play next against Princeton University on April 30 at Leadership Park.