Liberty Union softball's Suzie Shultz overcomes back injury to raise her game to new level
BALTIMORE — Starting as a freshman a year ago, Liberty Union’s Suzie Shultz was pitching on feel. She didn’t have a true understanding of how to set up hitters and make them hit her pitch.
She still had a solid year and helped lead the Lions to a 16-7 overall record. This season, she is much improved, mainly because she isn’t as hard on herself and now has the experience after going through all the ups and downs of being a first-time starting pitcher at the varsity level as a freshman.
“Last year, I really didn’t know what to expect, I was just kind of there for the experience,” Shultz said. “I was just pitching, I didn’t know how to attack the batters, but now, with a year of experience, I know better how to attack them as far as getting ahead in the count. I can work the batter how I want to work it more now. Before I was just throwing and seeing what the result would be, but now I know if my form is messed up, I can fix it. My overall command is better.”
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Not only has Shultz improved in the circle, but her batting average is 231 points higher.
In her first two years as a varsity pitcher, Shultz has a 23-12 record with 347 strikeouts in 213 innings. She has walked 34 batters this season compared to 48 a year ago. At the plate, Shultz went from a .329 batting average to .568 this season, and she has 33 RBIs this year, up from only nine last season.
Overcoming an injury and having a short-term memory
During Shultz’s eighth grade year, she kept having back pain and she thought it was muscle pain, but it didn’t go away. At one point, she felt something pop in her back and, after several tests, it was confirmed she had several stress fractures in her back.
The way she pitched when she was younger is what caused the injury, which was so bad at one point, that she couldn’t even bend over. Because of the injury, she couldn’t start pitching until February of her freshman year, which made how successful she was last year even more impressive.
There is no doubt that is part of the reason she was inconsistent at times a year ago. She changed her pitching form heading into her freshman year to try and alleviate some of the pain. Heading into this year, she changed it again and this time she found something that worked.
“We tried to change my form last year, and after changing it again this year, it has been helpful,” Shultz said. “It enabled me to keep my pitches where they needed to be, and I haven’t been as wild this year.”
Shultz also felt a heavy burden of having to carry the team and knew a lot was expected of her in the circle and at the plate. Relying on her teammates more, and with her back feeling much better, she seems to be playing freer, which has resulted in positive outcomes.
“Where she has had the biggest improvement is at the plate, and part of that is just being a year older. And I will tell you in the circle where she has improved this year is being able to have a short-term memory and putting things behind her,” Liberty Union coach Shaun Hochradel said. “She was trying too hard her freshman year and needed to stay in the present. She had to understand if someone hits a long home run off you, it’s because you throw hard and those things are going to happen.”
Earlier this season, Shultz gave up three consecutive home runs in the seventh inning against Fairfield Union. At that point, Hochradel said Shultz finally understood, she had to move on to the next batter and not let things linger.
“At Fairfield Union, she gives up a home run in the seventh inning, doesn’t forget about it and gives up another, doesn’t forget about it and gives up another one,” Hochradel said. “That was the moment we sat her down and said you can’t put this all on your shoulders and expect to be perfect. You have to trust your teammates and focus on staying in the present.”
Shultz added, “Last year, I would get upset when I gave up hits, but now I understand that is going to happen. I have been improving at that part, and I am grateful to my teammates because they make plays behind me.”
Shultz is unassuming and is liked and respected by her teammates, but don’t let that fool you, she has a quiet confidence about her and is competitive in the circle.
She understands how much her team depends on her, and with a year of experience, she is embracing it. She just wants to do her part in helping the program be as successful as it can be.
“I have been watching this program for a long time, so it is fun to see the success we are having,” Shultz said. “We are just going to keep getting better and building off our success each year. We have all put in the work and are now seeing the results.”
Liberty Union is 18-6 overall and will host a district semifinal, and no doubt, Shultz will have a big say in the outcome.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Liberty Union softball's Suzie Shultz overcomes adversity
