WEST LAFAYETTE — McCutcheon softball junior catcher Sydney Neumayr was determined to get better. Immediately.
Moments after the game ended in an 13-3 loss, Neumayr was back in the batting cage at Harrison. While the junior varsity game commenced, Neumayr took cuts with the help from her mother Shelly Payne.
Neumayr was the leadoff hitter for the Mavericks, but went 0-for-2 with a walk.
“She asked me if she could hit some in the cage after the game,” McCutcheon coach Amanda Bowman said. “I know she needed it in the moment, but she has been doing a great job for us in the leadoff spot. She didn’t have the night she wanted at the plate, so it’s no surprise she was wanting to put in more work. … We all have off nights. She was still putting the ball in play, just not where she wanted to.”
Not letting her performance waver on her for too long, she went back to work to hit.
“I just want to do my best for the team,” Neumayr said. “I’ve been struggling at the plate, and as the leadoff, I really can’t struggle.”
Neumayr has played softball since she was eight years old. Her mom being around to counsel her and toss batting practice when needed.
And there was Payne with a bucket of cut up and dirt filled softballs in her work clothes. She bent her knees and Neumayr unleashed swings after splitting the regular season series against Harrison.
“It matters for me because I really want to help others out,” Neumayr said. “I want to help my team.”
Bowman was proud of the leadership Neumayr displayed in the loss and believes there are many players that show similar resilient qualities.
“We have a team full of those kids this year,” Bowman said. “They all work hard and want to get better. They feed off of each other and seeing that work ethic, they push off each other. We have something special in this group. Last night doesn’t show the kind of team they are. It’s certainly an opportunity to learn and grow. We believe this season is going to be special.”
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Neumayr attacks cage immediately after McCutcheon softball loss
Reporting by Ethan Hanson, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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