Lights out

April 7, 2008 —

In most cases, a team is happy to have just one pitcher top the league in most statistical categories. Cardinals' softball is fortunate enough to have two.

After years of hard work, it comes as little surprise both junior Stacy Kraatz and freshman Jade Fulton have become as successful as they have.

Kraatz's 1.30 ERA is second best in the GLIAC. She's also held opposing batters to a .176 average, all en route to a 7-3 record.

Fulton is the fourth best strikeout pitcher in the GLIAC, putting away 74 batters so far. She is also capable of closing out games, tallying a GLIAC best four saves.

While saving games is not something Fulton is used to, she says she is up for the challenge.

"In high school, I had to pitch the entire game, so to have a new and exciting challenge is a lot of fun," Fulton said.

Fulton says she doesn't mind going to the bullpen. Some feel it interferes with a player's rhythm, however, Fulton says she doesn't change her mindset whether she is starting or coming in to close a game.

"I feel there shouldn't be a different mindset whether I'm starting or coming into relieve. You should come out with full intensity and be mentally tough in every situation," Fulton said.

Fulton, a Byron native, has been around softball for the better part of her life.

"I've been pitching for about eight years now, and all eight of those years I've been helped by my pitching instructor Doug Gillis," she said. "Over the years, I've basically lived softball. I played for my high school team and during the summer I played for a travel team."

Kraatz on the other hand, has a simpler explanation as to why she's become such an impact player.

"Every year I work, hard and push myself to be better than the year before. That mindset didn't just start in college though. I've been doing that ever since I first started pitching. I always strive to better myself," Kraatz said.

While it is not uncommon for a college pitcher to only concentrate on pitching, it was never an option for Kraatz to give up hitting. As of April 5, Kraatz has a .384 batting average, which is good for sixth in the conference. She also has 33 hits, which is good for fifth overall.

"I have always taken my hitting as seriously as my pitching and I have my father and many of my past coaches to thank for that," Kraatz said. "They realized that I had potential to do well both pitching and hitting at an early age and therefore worked with me to become a better well-rounded player for the future"

When looking at pitching statistics, it is easy to see that Kraatz is a complete player, as she is near the top in many of those categories as well.

Kraatz also joked about how she had so much time to concentrate on softball because of the fact that she's just not good at any other sport, particularly basketball.

"Throughout high school I was a one-sport athlete therefore I focused a lot of my time only on softball," Kraatz said. "Just ask any of my teammates that have seen me try to play basketball...they will quickly confirm that statement. I played on the varsity level all four years and finally met my goal senior year to become an all-state pitcher."

While Kraatz and Fulton are both dominant in their own ways, they have each other to thank for helping one another.

"Stacy has been a huge help for me adjusting to college ball. She's always been there to show me what happens in different situations and to give me tips that help me stay mentally tough," Fulton said.