THROW THE LAST PUNCH
I don't know about you - but I was a coach potato all weekend watching the return of D1 Softball. I'm even more excited for the Clearwater Tournament this upcoming weekend, which will be live on the ESPN family of networks starting TOMORROW (Boost those ratings!!). A reminder that my recaps aka "Halo's Dugout" are back rolling on TikTok and we have seen stellar performances already at all divisions of softball. I love this game!
Typically speaking, softball isn't like March Madness for basketball. There are very rarely ever upsets that make your jaw drop. However, that was not the case this opening weekend. We saw Lehigh take down #7 Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Longwood take down #4 Florida State in Tallahassee. Being me, I always love to ask why and how upsets like this happen. Could there be a science behind it? Is there a specific mindset? Is it just random luck - timely hits finding holes and a favorable strike zone for your pitcher? What is it?
I think the answer lies in a boxing ring. Let me explain.
The key to winning a boxing match isn't in throwing the first punch. That's the easy thing to do. Both boxers are fresh, ready to rock, and want to land something early on. They both throw and land first punches - but no one gets a win for doing so. There is little to no emphasis on the first round. All you are doing in the first round is gaining intelligence on your opponent and how they are trying to attack you. Yet in softball, so much emphasis is placed on scoring first as if that is going to win the game. Why? So we can get comfortable for an inning or two and then tense up when the other team slowly starts crawling back into it? Look, I'm a leadoff hitter. I LOVE throwing the first punch and setting the tone of a game. There is nothing like hitting a leadoff bomb to open up a 7 inning battle. But, victory lies in throwing the last punch, the KNOCKOUT punch, not the first one. I'd rather spend the early innings gathering intel so I can deliver the knockout when I need to. I want to get better as the game goes along.
This is a key to an upset. You have to be willing to take the heavyweights blows - wear those punches - and still be standing strong enough to fight back. That's exactly what Lehigh and Longwood both did. Alabama threw the first punch going up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Lehigh decided to wear it and throw the knockout by scoring 3 runs in the 7th. Longwood threw the first punch against Florida State - jumping out to a 5-0 lead that Florida State (as they often do) cut to 5-4 in the 6th inning. Did Longwood panic? No. They threw the knockout by getting 3 up 3 down in the bottom of the 7th to get the win.
That's how you pull off an upset. That's how you win a softball game. Emphasize throwing the last punch rather than the first. Gather intel about what your opponent is trying to do, dance around in the ring with them a little bit, then finish them off.
Get better as the game goes along.
--Halo
