Crescent-News.com - Softball spotlight: Britney Lopez stoking Defiance's offense

By LYNN GROLL

Seniors come and go in go in high school sports but the Defiance High School has been blessed through the years with valuable veterans and this spring has been no different for the Bulldogs on the softball diamond.

Tag-teaming with fellow senior Marissa McDonald, Britney Lopez has continued the strong senior tradition this spring on the softball diamond.

"Well, both girls bring a great deal of respect for the game and leadership to the team," explained DHS second-year mentor Krista Johnson. "We depend on them to get us going in games and to step up when we need them."

Lopez, who hits leadoff and anchors the infield at shortstop, came into the season with big shoes to fill with the departure of shortstop and leadoff hitter Dee Dee Hilllman graduating and now starting on Ohio State's softball team.

Lopez has stoked the Bulldogs' offense this spring with a sterling .474 batting average with 18 hits in 38 trips to the dish while slugging at a .526 clip and scoring 13 runs.

It's safe to say that Lopez has fit rather nicely into Hillman's roll as the anchor of the DHS infield and tone-setter at the top of the lineup.

"Those were huge shoes to fill," emphasized Lopez. "At the beginning of the season I thought, do I want to step into Dee Dee's spot or do I want to keep my spot second (in the lineup). I felt like I needed to try my best with whatever Krista does with me."

Lopez has helped guide the Bulldogs to an 8-4 overall mark this spring and 3-2 start in the tough-as-nails Western Buckeye League.

"Britney did have huge shoes to fill with losing Dee Dee," explained Johnson. "But I'm very proud of her and the way she stepped up to take that position and play it with 100 percent intensity all the time. She does a great job knowing the plays and helping others out. We also have her hitting first just like Dee Dee did. She's done a wonderful job of putting the ball in play and making the defense work to get her out."

The Bulldogs have a pair of major wins in the league thus far with triumphs over long-time nemesis Lima Bath and St. Marys.

"I think the big wins have boosted our confidence to play harder," said Lopez. "That was big, that was really big especially against teams that we've struggled to beat."

Lopez says she's learned a lot from the past seniors that mentored her during her first three seasons with the program.

"Now that we're seniors, we've seen what the other seniors have gone through and why they told us not to mess around in the pregame and stay focused and that's pretty much we try to do," said Lopez. "We try and keep the girls focused throughout the game.

"I think the whole team gets along," added Lopez. "It's probably one of the best years where everyone's got along. Some of the past years we've had drama, but this year it's going well."

Lopez is just the latest in a long line of senior leaders that have helped the Bulldog softball program contend for league championships over the years.

"The Defiance High School team has been very blessed to have such competitive hard-working girls come into our program and build it up to what it is today," said Johnson. "Kayla (Johnson) definitely led the team with her pitching, Lindsey Schey with leadership at the shortstop position and Dee Dee Hillman with leadership on and off the field.

"There were other seniors that did a great job like Nicole Wagner, Georgette Richardson, Alexa Berens, Angie Jewell, Kate and Jen Mallet, Megan Koester ... and so many others that brought their own unique energy to the team. All the underclassman always looked up to all these girls and their willingness to want to be successful and win."