Christian Malone
May 06, 2008 11:22 pm
—
VALDOSTA — When Kristina Ely steps up to the plate, a home run is always a definite possibility.
Last month, Ely set Valdosta State’s home run record, when she blasted her 18th homer of the season in a 10-2 victory over West Georgia at the VSU Softball Complex.
Now, she’s shooting for what she really wants: a national championship.
Ely will lead the Valdosta State softball team into the South regional tournament today in Miami Shores, Fla. The Lady Blazers (48-17), who open the tournament against St. Leo at 11 a.m., are the No. 6 seed in the South.
Ely was one of five Lady Blazers named to the All-Gulf South Conference first team this season. Heading into regionals, she is batting .332 and now has 19 home runs and 51 RBIs. She’s also playing excellent defense, with a .970 fielding percentage.
Ely made history on April 20, when she drilled a pitch from West Georgia’s Kacie Crider over the fence in center field for her record-breaking 18th homer of the season. That homer broke a record set by Holly Willis (who wore the same No. 10 as Ely) in 2006.
“I’m pretty excited. It’s been fun,” Ely said. “But I think my teammates are more excited than I am. It didn’t really hit me until I crossed home plate, and I had all my teammates there yelling, giving me hugs and congratulating me. I realized what I’d accomplished was something big, and their support makes it even bigger.”
Ely hit the home run in front of several family members, who had driven up from her hometown of Sarasota, Fla. and from Michigan to watch her tie the record on a Saturday, then set it on Sunday.
That home runs was not only a record for Ely, it was also two runs on the scoreboard for her team.
“I’m glad the home runs are getting RBIs for my team, and we’re winning,” she said.
The fact that driving in two runs for her team meant more to her than breaking a school record speaks volumes about Kristina Ely.
Ely doesn’t pay much attention to her statistics. If no one else told her, she likely wouldn’t know how many home runs she had. She’s proud of all she accomplishes, but what really matters to her is whether her team wins or loses.
That kind of attitude has made Valdosta State head coach Thomas Macera one of her biggest fans.
“She has been a blessing to this program, and to Valdosta State,” Macera said. “She is all about the team. She’ll do whatever she needs to do to help the team. She wants the team to do well. She is the type of player I want playing for Valdosta State, and I’m proud to say she is.
“Kristina is not just a great softball player, she’s a great person. She’s a team leader, she works as hard as she can. I have had her for three years, and there has never been anything negative from her. And I have pushed her as much as I could, because I knew the potential she had.
“She is one of the top players I’ve ever had, on the field, off the field and in the classroom. She is a coach’s dream.”
Oddly enough, before this season, Ely was not a home run hitter. Last year, she hit a career-high four homers. She had hit two her freshman year and two more as a sophomore. And before she entered college, she had never hit a softball over the fence.
And now she has set Valdosta State’s home run record.
“I can’t believe I’ve hit 18 home runs this year,” Ely said. “Last year, I hit four. My sophomore year, I hit two, and my freshman year, I think I hit two. Hard work pays off.
“I’m swinging the bat hard, hitting the ball hard, and wherever it goes, it goes. This year, a lot of times, it’s gone over the fence.”
“She played very well for us last year, and she’s played that much harder this year, and she’s getting paid back what she’s put into the game,” Macera said. “She’s always had power. She’s a tall, lean, strong kid that swings the bat with a lot of bat speed. Everything she hits, she gets her money’s worth.”
Macera also estimates that Ely has probably hit twice as many long fly balls foul.
Ely is just one of several sluggers in the Valdosta State lineup, arguably one of the best in Division II. Five Lady Blazers — Ely, Shannon Cleland (14), Alex Acosta (13), Robin Williams (13) and Andi Braswell (10) — have hit at least 10 home runs. Ten batters have at least one home run. The team has 82 homers, and is also batting .320.
“Every single batter in our lineup can hit the ball over the fence,” Ely said. “Every single girl hits the ball hard. That’s why I believe we can win nationals.”
The records and the recognition are nice, but since she arrived on the Valdosta State campus in fall 2006, Ely has had only one goal: winning a national championship.
It’s a goal she has accomplished before. In 2005, as a freshman, Ely played second base on the Lynn University team that won the Division II national championship.
“Words can not describe that experience,” Ely said. “It makes me want it even more, because it’s so awesome.
“I don’t have any individual goals. I just want our team to win nationals. This team can do it. I know we can do it. We have the potential to do it. We have the experience and the talent. We need to come together and stay together. It would be awesome.”
After that season, Lynn’s coach, Macera, came to Valdosta State. Ely and Acosta, Lynn’s second baseman and shortstop, chose to follow him to VSU. But first, they both played a year at Manatee Community College (if they had transferred directly to VSU, they would have had to sit out a year).
“I’m happy I came here,” Ely said. “I feel so comfortable playing next to her. Now I’m comfortable playing with everyone, but especially Alex, because we’ve played together for so long. We’ve been through everything together, and we see eye-to-eye on a lot of stuff, and that makes it easy.
“Everything that happened that freshman year was awesome. (Macera) is a great coach. He knows what he’s talking about. I learned a lot my freshman year. I like playing for him, and for this team. It’s been fun. I’m not ready for it to end.”
Last year, her first at VSU, Ely batted .336 and was named to the All-Gulf South Conference first team.
She loves the game of softball, and being a Lady Blazer.
“I enjoy it a lot. I’m happy that I chose this route, and I’m happy that I have softball. I’m busy all the time, but I like being busy. The bonds and the friendships you make on the softball field are just unforgettable. My best friends are my teammates. I’ve known Alex for four years, and we’ll probably be friends forever. Same thing with a lot of the other players.”
Ely is also an excellent student. She graduated cum laude from Valdosta State on Saturday.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.