ccc
ALL-TIME
SINGLE SEASON
HOME RUN LEADERS
I
1. NATALIE MUNSON 18
2. KYLIE GONZALES 16
3. KIARA VASQUEZ 14
4. RASHAUN SELLS 13
5. KATIE KING l l
h H h
HHHHI
Teammates swarm Munson
at home plate after she hit a
record-breaking home run.
STORY, AND PHOTOS BY JACOB THOMPSON -
SPORTS EDITOR
Freshm an catch er N atalie M unson
made, Clackamas Community College
softball history Friday when she hit
home run No. 17 of the season/passing
third baseman Kylie Gonzales (16 HRs
in 2016) for the singled season home
run record.
Munson wasn’t known as a HR hitter’/
during her career at W estview High
School, hitting four HRs in hen senior
season ; she cred its her o ffsea so n
regimen to her increased power.
“ I ’ve b ee n d oin g m ore in th e
weightroom ,” Munson said. “ Building
more m uscle h a s helped me h it the
ball farther.”
So far this season, teamm ates have
had a lot o f confiden.ee in M unson’ §
ability at the plate. Freshman infielder
Peyton Elliott w asn’ t,surprised at the
seasonM unspn’ sh avin g. J .
“ [Munson] is a power-hitter,” Elliott
said. “ I’ve never seen anyone hit 18
home runs in one year. I feel a lot more
confident when she’ s up to bat.”
The record breaking HR came in the
first game of two against Ghemeketa
Community College in the bottom of
the third inning. Munson had struck
Clackamas Print
ju t in her first at bat, but knew what
she was looking for in her second.
“ I w a s ju s t looking for my p itch ,” .
Munson said. “ I wanted a strike over
the plate, I swung and it was gone.”
When Munson took that swing, Head
Coach Jessica Buel had no doubt it
was leaving the park. Buel added that
she isn’t surprised Munson broke the
school record.
“ [M unson’ s] alw ays had a great
sw ing,” Buel said. “ She’ s really been
known to be a great hitter throughout
the state of Oregon, so we knew coming
in she had the potential to do it.”
Munson was nothing but smiles after
breaking the record in Clackamas’ 8-0
win over Chemeketa.
“ It fe e ls am azin g [to break the
re co rd ,]” M unson said. “ I’ m not
surprised, but it’ s a lot of emotion-to
take in .”
Two hours after se ttin g the new
school record, Munson added another
HR during game two versus Chemeketa,
pushing her HR tally tQ 18— tying her
for the Northwest Athletic Conference
lead for HRs hit so far this year, Munson
is in a three-w ay tie with North Idaho
C o lle g e ’ s sophom ore in fieid er
Kalyna Korok and Treasure Valley
Community College’ s sophomore
catcher Jordan Henley who have
also h it 18 HRs. Buel th in k s
Munson has a chance of ending the
season leading the NW AC in HRs.'
“ W e’ve got some good pitching
to face and she usually hits the
b etter p itch in g b e tte r ,” Buel
said. “ It will be good for her to
get out there and com pete for
th at.”
Munson has been a big part of
the Cougars offense this year,
w ith a batting average of .391
and giving Clackamas 52 run§'
batted in.
“ [M u n so n ’ s] b een v e ry
co n sisten t th is y e a r,” Buel
s a i d / “ It’ s not only hom e
runs. She comes in with some
good consistent at bats for
us and it’s really sparked the
team w hen w e ’ve needed
it.”
Munson is on pace to hit
21 HRs by season’ s end but
said sh e’ d be happy with 19.
thprlarkamatnrint.net
MM
BBS
Munson hugs coach Katie Aden
Mav
2018