Cadence Hernandez

Little Elm junior Cadence Hernandez had a big week at the plate for the Lady Lobos.

 FIle Photo

The Little Elm softball team is on the rise under the direction of first-year head coach Brent Achorn.

Hernandez helped the Lady Lobos defeat McKinney Boyd 15-0 on March 18 to give Little Elm its first District 5-6A win of the season. The Little Elm junior third baseman came through in the clutch, going 2-for-3 with a double, home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. It was the feather on the cap for a strong performance at the plate last week, where she went 5-of-7 with three home runs and seven RBIs in two district contests. Little Elm improved to 9-8 overall with the victory.

Hernandez was named Star Local Media Athlete of the Week after receiving 31% of the online reader vote. Also up for consideration were Jostin Watkins (Celina), Sami Hood (Allen), Peighton Raisey (Frisco Lone Star) and William Heidman (Frisco Wakeland).

Did you know?

SLM: You hit the first three home runs of the season last week. What was clicking for you?

CH: In the beginning, I was kind of struggling. I was getting base hits, but not like what I wanted to. Last week, I just started seeing the ball better. I think the whole team dynamic was better, too, last week and we just took it and kind of ran with it.

SLM: Staying on the subject of your team, Little Elm is 9-8 after finishing last year 4-16. What's been the difference for the Lady Lobos this year compared to last year?

CH: I think that we're a lot closer. We're playing to have fun. We're a lot more relaxed on the field. We're just having a good time when we're playing.

SLM: A big reason behind Little Elm's improvement is the play of its offense. Just this month, Little Elm has scored at least seven runs in six games. What's been the biggest reason behind that power surge at the plate?

CH: We're definitely working on hitting a lot more this year. We're focusing on it, seeing the ball a lot better. And just offensively in the dugout, it's a totally different environment. We're having fun. We're talking to each other and cheering each other on.

SLM: How did you get into softball?

CH: My dad. I started playing when I was about 4 or 5, and I've played ever since. I've tried everything -- basketball, volleyball. But this is what I loved and I just kind of stuck with it.

SLM: Describe your pregame routine. Do you have any music that you listen to or a favorite pregame meal?

CH: Not necessarily a meal, but we have our playlist for softball. We listen to that on the bus if we're going to an away game. If we're playing at home, we play it on the intercom when we're warming up. We really like Bruno Mars. We have a lot of Bruno Mars. "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira. And then old Justin Bieber. 

 

You must be logged in to react.
Click any reaction to login.
1
0
0
0
0

Tags

Recommended for you

Load comments