St. Charles East’s Caleigh Higgins almost underestimates her own power.
The sophomore first baseman thought her at-bat in the first inning was a simple pop-up.
“I’m always going to keep working and not let one at-bat determine how I play,” Higgins said. “With my size, I’ve always had the sense if the ball was anywhere near me, I was going to swing.”
And that first swing Wednesday? It wasn’t merely a pop-up.
Higgins hit a two-run home run to spark the host Saints to a 10-0 DuKane Conference victory over Geneva in five innings.
Junior designated hitter Hayden Sujack hit two homers and drove in three runs for St. Charles East (11-10, 2-3). Senior infielder Holly Smith added two RBIs, while senior pitcher Kyli Dunn struck out four.
Sophomore outfielder Caroline Winsininski had the only hit for the Vikings (5-12, 0-5).
Senior shortstop Addison Wolf was at second base when Higgins — who also scored twice — stepped up for her first plate appearance. She felt a surge of excitement heading toward home.
“Caleigh is warming up to us,” Wolf said. “She was definitely more quiet at the beginning of the season. Now, we’re really getting to know her and she’s a really good addition to our team.
“We knew as soon as she got here she was going to do good things.”
St. Charles East coach Jarod Gutesha said the signs of Higgins’ emergence were evident before her breakthrough moment.
“She has swung the bat really well the last couple of days, both in practice and in our game (Tuesday),” he said. “If you watch her in a round of batting practice, it doesn’t take long to figure out she can hit the ball a long way.
“She’s getting into that comfort zone. It was great to see that ball go over the scoreboard.”
The 6-foot Higgins has a great swing radius and prototypical size to generate power. Playing center on the basketball team also has improved her agility, quickness and balance.
Her improvement has been incremental in softball, learning to counter different pitching styles.
“The pitching is much more advanced, but I never get too far ahead of myself,” Higgins said. “I just think one base at a time and go from there. I’ve worked on my power and how to drive the ball.”
Higgins bats sixth in the order for the Saints, underscoring the team’s developing faith in her immense promise and potential.
In that first inning, Sujack hit a two-run homer as well.
“She’s been working really hard, especially in practice, and I’m really proud of her,” Sujack said of Higgins. “Her improvement since the beginning of the season has been substantial.
“She’s doing a really good job of slowing things down, making it simple and playing her game.”
Sujack said Higgins is so quiet it proved virtually impossible to mentor her in the beginning. But Higgins’ game is catching up, and that speaks volumes.
“Earlier this season, I was in a little bit of a slump and it felt great just to bounce back and hit,” Higgins said. “I always try to get myself into a good mindset and make sure I’m only talking positively about myself.”
Higgins got start in softball at age 8 when her father signed her up for a local recreational league. That was the spark she needed, and the game has become her private passion.
Striking out in her first varsity career at-bat is now a long and distant memory.
”My favorite part about the game is just the energy you get and being with the rest of the team,” she said. “When I’m not playing, I just focus on school.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
