Karr is short in stature, long in power

She's still a mere 5-foot-3, but Maddie Karr has shown major growth as a hitter.

'It's a discipline thing,” said Center Point-Urbana softball coach John Olachnovitch. 'She has better knowledge of the strike zone. She has learned to lay off the pitches around her neck.”

And when she sees a pitch that she likes, the results can be destructive.

A freshman outfielder, Karr leads the state in home runs (10) and RBIs (31). It's no coincidence that the Class 3A fourth-rated Stormin' Pointers (14-3) have scored 96 runs during their nine-game win streak.

'I'm just seeing the ball really well,” Karr said. 'I'm kind of in a zone right now.”

Karr clubbed three home runs and drove in 10 runs (seven in Game 2) in the Stormin' Pointers' sweep of Vinton-Shellsburg on Monday. She was 5-of-6, raising her season batting average to .500. Her slugging percentage is 1.229, fourth-best in the state.

Karr is short in stature, but 'has a lot of fast-twitch fibers in her upper body,” Olachnovitch said.

'She lets her hands float through the zone, and that gives her a lot of natural explosion.”

Karr started last year as an eighth-grader as the Stormin' Pointers reached the state tournament (they placed sixth in 3A). She hit three home runs and tied for the team lead with 26 RBIs.

Less than three weeks into her second season, she has more than surpassed those numbers.

'I'm getting a lot of strength from my legs and my hips,” she said. 'And I've been working on hitting pitches that are inside or outside.

'I'm just trying to get base hits. If they're home runs, great.”

900 WINS FOR WHITE

Solon Coach Jim White went past the 900-win milestone Tuesday when the Spartans swept Dyersville Beckman.

White owns a 901-126 mark in 21 seasons, including 92-8 in three years at Solon. He guided Clear Creek Amana to six state championships in 18 seasons.

The Spartans are 12-1 and rated No. 2 in Class 3A this season heading into a showdown Wednesday with No. 1 Benton Community (18-0) at Van Horne.

QUICK TURNAROUND FOR MUSTANGS

Mount Vernon has followed an 0-5 start with eight consecutive wins.

The Mustangs' start should have been no reason for alarm - their first five games consisted of double-headers against CPU and Solon, plus a single game against Mid-Prairie.

Since then, the schedule softened and the Mustangs capitalized. Mount Vernon has scored 74 runs in the last eight games, most recently a sweep of DeWitt Central on Monday.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com