There isn't a better way to make a good first impression on a coach than hitting the stitches off a softball and sending it out of the park.
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For Alabama softball freshman KJ Haney, she was hitless after her first two at-bats in March. The 5-foot-9 power hitter made the most of her appearance against Alabama State on April 14, though, because she blasted a light-tower shot that would've made Babe Ruth blush.
How's that for a first career hit?
KJ Haney Homers For First Hit
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Haney pinch hit for Bailey Hemphill in the third inning and promptly did what Hemphill has been doing her entire career: crush pitches.
The Douglasville, Georgia native cranked a 1-0 fastball over the plate behind the left-center field wall. No doubter. She even knew it was gone right when she hit it.
Haney was so excited while rounding the bases that she was practically sprinting. When she reached home, she gave a big ole hug to one of her teammates.
Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy was just as excited for Haney.
"I can't tell you how much fun it is as a coach to watch a young lady get her first collegiate hit. Obviously, it was a big one. The reaction from the bullpen, the dugout and the crowd warms your heart. It's one of the best feelings in the world and I'm really happy for her," Murphy said in a release.
Awesome.
KJ Haney came to Tuscaloosa after setting the career home run record at Hiram High School. She received her first offer in eighth grade. But Alabama was her dream school.
"I wanted to play in the SEC. Alabama was my dream school. I remember in sixth or seventh grade, I was at the beach with my grandfather and we were watching Alabama softball and I looked at him and said, 'that's where I want to go play softball,'" she told RollTide.com.
KJ Haney certainly announced her presence at her dream school with authority, and she has a bright future ahead of her.
