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Hance putting together stellar summer campaign

Summer isn’t always about vacation and relaxation. The end of the high school softball season doesn’t always mean competition on the diamond is over for the next eight months.

For Jayna Hance, the hard work continues throughout the summer months as she prepares to get better for the upcoming season.

Hance completed her sophomore season with the Rogers City Hurons just over a month ago and after a disappointing end to the season in an 11-1 quarterfinal loss to Inland Lakes. Hance has used that loss as motivation to prepare her final two years as a Huron to be remarkable ones.

Hance currently plays for the Michigan Hurricanes out of Portage. She was asked to join the team in 2015 when the team played in the 13U USSSA National Tournament. The team eventually won the tournament that year and last season they were NSA 14U state champs as well.

A year later, the 15U group is still winning and Hance continues to lead the way. The Hurricanes competed in the 2017 USSSA Great Lakes National 16U Tournament Friday which consisted of 30 teams from seven different states.

Despite being a 15U team playing in a 16U tournament, Hance led the Hurricanes to a perfect 9-0 record to capture another championship.

Whether it was in the circle or at the plate, Hance delivered impressive numbers throughout the tournament as she hit three home runs on the weekend, two of which were three-run shots while ending the tournament with a .333 batting average and stealing three bases. Hance led the team in hits (9), home runs (3), RBI (17) and extra base hits while playing center field and third base when she wasn’t on the mound, making just as big of an impact. Hance went 2-0 with a save and struck out seven over 12 1/3 innings on her way to being named the Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Tournament.

Hance made the Rogers City softball team as a freshman and was put into a prominent role as one of the team’s top pitchers. For young players, there are always ups and downs, but Hance has seen many more ups than downs in her young career and she continues to work to better herself as and her vast improvement is starting to show this summer.

Stellar play continues to be normal for Hance who continues to raise her summer league numbers across the board. During this year with the Hurricanes, Hance is batting .431 (22-for-51), with four home runs, 30 RBI and 23 runs scored. She has also stole 12 bases and walked nine times. Along with her impressive average, Hance also holds a .516 on base percentage, an .804 slugging percentage and an incredible 1.320 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

In the circle, Hance has pitched 26 2/3 innings and holds an impressive 2.62 ERA to go along with a 4-1 record while collecting three saves.

Hance will end her travel ball season this weekend when she travels to Ocean City, Maryland for the USSSA 16U East National Championships where 76 teams from the Eastern part of the United States will be attending.

Jonny Zawacki can be reached via email at jzawacki@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5690.

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