Fully-charged battery

Westosha Central pitcher Alyssa Hrncar, along with her teammate Kayla Konwent were named the Report's Female Athletes of the Year.
Westosha Central pitcher Alyssa Hrncar (above) along with teammate Kayla Konwent were named the Report’s Female Athletes of the Year.

Westosha Central duo helped lead Falcons to state title

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

The battery of Westosha Central’s Kayla Konwent, a catcher, and pitcher Alyssa Hrncar was one of the leading factors for the Lady Falcons WIAA Division state softball title last year.

The Westosha Central High School duo garnered first-team all-state honors during the phenomenal run where the Lady Falcons compiled a 28-4 overall record and a Southern Lakes Conference title (13-1).

For their efforts, Konwent and Hrncar are the 2015 Report Female Co-Athletes of the Year.

Konwent, a junior last year, added a Gatorade State Player of the Year to go along with her other accolades.

The catcher, who made a smooth transition from third base, belted 21 home runs, batted a robust .630 with 46 RBIs and 38 runs in 2015.

“Each year, including my freshman year, my goal is to be better the next year,” Konwent said. “So setting goals like that, my first year, I hit 11 or 12 home runs, so I had to do better than that.”

Plate discipline was another reason, with Konwent drawing 27 walks, compared to just two strikeouts.

The catcher said it all boils down to patience, noting pitchers often try to pitch around her.

“Not everybody is going to pitch the ball right down the middle for me, so I have to wait for my pitch, and go from there,” Konwent explained.

According to co-head coach Tom Lampe, Konwent’s success spread far beyond the baseball diamond.

“She is a student of the game,” Lampe said. “We have books with charts on every Southern Lakes Conference opponent, and she studies.”

Konwent has shared all of her information with Hrncar, a sophomore last year, and was instrumental in the Lady Falcons run to capture the pennant.

“It wasn’t really hard because we spent so much time warming up together,” Hrncar said.

Hrncar struck out 231 hitters in 183 innings pitched, and maintained solid control, walking just 43.

Additionally, Hrncar only allowed 21 earned runs for a meager 0.80 ERA.

One of the notable pitching performances was the quarterfinal game against Chippewa Falls, where she played through an injury.

But, with an entire season on the line, Hrncar knew she had to pull through.

In the 4-1 extra-inning performance, she struck out 12 hitters, walked five and allowed no earned runs.

“It was the adrenaline that carried me through, like every game,” Hrncar said. “When you are in the heat of the moment, you ignore it.”

The defensive support behind her helped her played through the injury.

“It has always been to trust my team, and know they are behind me,” Hrncar said. “And picking me up all the time.”

Hrncar forged ahead after the quarterfinal match that included the 3-0 win against Watertown to secure the state championship, where she pitched seven innings, walked one and struck out 11 hitters.

Konwent knew what to call behind the plate during the season.

“I know what is her go-to pitch and what we can pitch when she is behind in the count or what she can pitch when she is ahead of the count,” Konwent said.

Off the field, the bond goes beyond balls and strikes, with both sharing a strange superstition.

“My freshman year, everybody gave me a hard time for sleeping in my jersey the night before a game, but it helps me prepare,” Konwent said. “Then Alyssa came in her freshman year, and I was walking through the hotel (on a road trip) and saw Alyssa had on her jersey, and I was like no way.”


Posted

in

by

Tags: