BGSU sophomore Allison Vallas hit .857 in two wins Saturday over Detroit, with six hits in seven at-bats, which included a career-high four hits in the second game. In her four career games against Detroit, Vallas is hitting .833 and has gone 10 for 12 with four runs scored, eight RBIs, three doubles, a triple and three walks, with an on-base percentage of .867 and a slugging percentage of 1.250. It goes without saying that this performance makes Vallas our pick for the Athlete of the Week.
Vallas was named to the All-MAC Second Team last year in 58 games, including 57 starts. She also led the Falcons with three home runs and 34 RBI. She acquired 19 walks, nine doubles and 68 total bases. Vallas also managed to rank second for the Falcons in slugging (.420) and on-base (.362) percentages. She was also named the MAC Player of the Week after hitting .444 in the Falcons’ three-game sweep of Buffalo, among many other things.
Though she has been able to make her bat sing a very happy song, it definitely doesn’t happen at the snap of a finger for Vallas. Her amazing start to the 2006 season came from a lot of hard work in the off-season.
‘I have so much confidence in my swing and I feel more powerful than I ever have before,’ she said. ‘I think one of the keys to being a successful hitter is having confidence when you go up to bat, and I definitely have that right now.’
In addition to extremely intense and repetitive batting practice, a lot of Vallas’ success comes from her mental outlook. By keeping herself in the game mentally, she is able to pull through for the Falcons with astronomical success at the plate.
‘I have more success if I am not thinking too much or trying to guess where the pitcher is going to throw it or what pitch she is trying to throw,’ Vallas said.
Though she has already done amazing things on the field, Vallas still has goals for the rest of her season.
‘I want to grow as a leader on the team,’ she said. ‘Last year, I think I just led by example and this year I really want to try and be a vocal leader.’
