Junior pitcher/outfielder Mia Balta hits out of the second spot in the order for Lincoln-Way East.
The Oakland commit also loves getting last-second encouragement from good friend Mackenzie Bacha, the Griffins’ leadoff hitter, before she goes up to the plate.
Balta likes it even more, however, when she comes to bat with Bacha on base.
“Oh yeah, it’s happened a bunch of times,” Balta said. “I know that if ‘Mack’ gets a double or even a single, I’m going to bring her in.”
Such was the case at Lincoln-Way West on Friday when Balta came up with two on and two out and Lincoln-Way East trailing by one run. This time, she talked to herself.
“I just told myself to make contact and hit it to left-center,” Balta said. “I knew what I had to do. I hit it further than I thought I would.”
Way further. As in out of the park.
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Balta’s three-run homer in the sixth inning ended up being the difference-maker for the Griffins in an 8-6 SouthWest Suburban Conference win.
Bacha, Cassidy Jagielski, Grace Duncan and Haley Muehlnickel all had two hits apiece for Lincoln-Way East (11-4, 4-1). Paige Seivert, Reese Cusack and Kaylea Armstrong each hit home runs for the Warriors (14-5, 5-1).
It was a career day for Balta, who has been on varsity since freshman year. She started the game in left field and made a running catch in foul territory to minimize a three-run first by the Warriors.
Balta then took over in the circle during the second and shut Lincoln-Way West out in five of her six innings. Her game-winning homer was her third hit of the day.
“The energy was there,” Balta said. “Honestly, my freshman and sophomore years, I was just there cheering on the team mostly. This season I knew I’d have to step up, especially with one of our pitchers from last year (Jessi Szafoni) graduating.”
Including Friday’s game, Balta is hitting .452 with five doubles, two homers and 13 RBIs. In the circle, she has 34 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings.
Lincoln-Way East coach Elizabeth Hyland has locked her into the starting lineup.
“I knew this was going to be a huge year for Mia,” Hyland said. “Now that she’s a junior, she’s had her footing. She has a smarter approach to the game. She’s no longer a baby in the program.”
Anie Balta, a senior first baseman, is Mia’s sister. The St. Ambrose commit remembers when Mia played with babies. Plastic ones, anyway.
“We just grew up playing in the backyard,” Anie said, smiling. “Mia was definitely a girly girl. She would play with her purse on and her heels and her lipstick. She has really grown as a player.
“We’re seeing a lot more grit out of her. And her mound presence has gotten a lot better. I’m really proud of her, and I can’t wait to see what she does the rest of her time here and in the four years after that at Oakland.”
Batters don’t really have a chance to get too comfortable. Balta’s mound presence includes what Bacha described as a “poker face.”
“Mia is very calm,” Bacha said. “You never know if she’s happy or sad. She’s very, very focused and in the game all the time. Her and I bat leadoff and second, so we try to talk to each before and after our at-bats.
“I try to make her giggle before she goes up to bat. We both try to make each other feel comfortable.”
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Words of wisdom?
“Oh, most of the time it doesn’t even make sense,” Bacha said, laughing. “Most of the time we’re just screaming to scream, get hyped up. I’m going lose my voice before the end of this.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.