Alan Myrtle and Jay Gerdes watched a lot of softball in recent seasons from their spots down the first-base line at Wilkins Stadium. They knew to pay attention in the first inning when right fielder Addison Barnard came up to bat.
When she reached for a ball off the plate and muscled it over the right-field wall, they gasped a bit, smiled and shook their heads. Barnard didn't get her best contact on the ball and still smacked it out for her 17thhome run to break Wichita State's season record.
"She's a beast," Myrtle said.