Frontier alum and now Westfield State softball player Sarah Meunier was in a groove on the diamond last week.
The senior caught fire at the plate, and her strong play earned her Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Player of the Week honors.
“I feel like I’m seeing the ball well in the box, which is an awesome thing for a hitter,” Meunier said.
Meunier went 8-for-10 on the week with four extra base hits, the biggest a three-run home run on Thursday against Worcester State.
In a doubleheader against the Lancers, Meunier went 5 for 7, hitting for the cycle with a single and double in the first game and notching a triple and sent one out of the park in the second game. She also went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI against Mass. Maritime to cap off her stellar week.
In the moment after hitting the home run, she was so focused she didn’t realize it allowed her to complete the cycle.
“It didn’t cross my mind until it was posted online,” Meunier said. “It was really cool. I didn’t think I was going to hit that home run. I didn’t realize how many people were on base, I was just super pumped about it. It’s always a surprise, I’m so focused on just getting a nice, clean line drive and then something like that will happen. That hit felt awesome coming off the bat.”
After a self-described slow start to the season the senior has rebounded nicely, crediting the success to added confidence as the season has progressed.
“This season started off a little rough,” Meunier said. “I have a tendency to get in a little funk and get my head down. I started hitting once I got my confidence back. My pitch selection is a lot better. I just got out of my own head and have been putting extra focus when I’m hitting individually in practice.”
It’s hard to believe Meunier even has time for practice considering her incredibly busy schedule.
Meunier is double-majoring in movement science and health science and is on the physician assistant track, working at Baystate Noble in Westfield. Some days, she has a full class schedule, then goes to practice before working the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at Baystate. She tries to get as much rest in as she can before going to practice the next day.
“I’ve always struggled with finding time to myself,” Meunier noted. “I tend to want to do things the night they’re assigned. This summer after I graduate, I plan on working on myself more. I won’t be as busy as I’ve been.”
It’s a tough year to be a senior athlete in college, and that’s no different for Meunier. After hitting .333 her sophomore season, her junior year was cut down to just four games due to the pandemic.
This year, no spectators are allowed at Westfield State games, meaning her family and friends can’t be there in person to support her, though there are able to follow along and watch on a livestream. Players aren’t allowed in the dugout at the same time, instead spread around the fence making for a different atmosphere.
She felt the absence of fans and the noticable change to this season when she hit her first homer of the year.
“The aspect of no fans can be kind of tough,” Meunier said. “When I hit my first home run, you aren’t allowed to crowd the plate this year so my teammates couldn’t be there to greet me so that was really weird.”
Westfield State is strictly competing against MASCAC schools this season, another twist thrown into the season.
If the Owls are able to make a run in the tournament, the championship game is set for the same day as Westfield State’s graduation, which would leave Meunier with a tough decision to make.
“If that happens, it’s going to be a toss up,” Meunier said, “but most likely I’d be playing in the softball game.”