Grace Softball: Knight The Queen Of Hits
WINONA LAKE – Clarissa Knight has carried a big stick since walking onto the Grace College campus four years ago. The ability to find the softball and send it to open grass has made Knight the most prolific hitter in Lancer softball history, becoming the all-time hits leader this past weekend.
Knight has been unbelievably consistent in her four years at Grace from a statistical standpoint. Starting her freshman year, she hit .386, then bumped to .425 as a sophomore and to .459 as a junior, her junior average the second-highest ever for a Grace softball player. Her .419 career batting average through Saturday puts her second to Brooke Shell’s .434 average, which is a common theme in the softball archives.
Knight and Shell are one-two in four all-time categories. Shell, a 2015 Grace grad, was the all-time leader in hits (260) and doubles (32) only for Knight to eclipse those numbers, Knight now the leader with 38 two-baggers. Shell (19) and Knight (16) are one-two in career triples, and Shell is tops in stolen bases (73), with Knight third at 52, only Rachel Walter’s 59 standing in the way of another connection.
In all, Knight is in the top three of all eight major offensive categories in her career, also holding the season-best RBI total of 56 in 2014, which teammate Chandler Elliott tied in 2015.
Those are just numbers, but the historical value of setting marks is a double standard for Knight, who prefers to see stats as leadership.
“A lot of this is what I can do for my team,” Knight said Friday morning. “Seeing that I’m three or four hits away from the record, or whatever other stats, to process that I need four hits is helping my team four times. What those numbers do in the record books is just icing on the cake. To know I’m going for records is kind of cool, but it can be selfish as I’ve been that player before looking at stats for my own gain. I want to have my play help my team now. What can I do to put my team in a position to win.”
As the lone senior on the roster, Knight has also played an integral part of the Lancer softball program this year.
“I don’t want people to just see my name on sheets of paper after I leave here and just say she must have been good,” noted Knight, “but I want them to see that I honored the Lord with my play. I want to be a spiritual leader to the freshman and someone they could come to. Be a true friend. To me, my legacy isn’t about stats but how I was able to perform and where my heart was at while I was here.
“Getting close to this record has made me realize that I want more for my team than I want more for myself.”
Knight has continued to terrorize opposing pitching this year, as of Saturday is hitting .387 with 36 hits, eight doubles, two triples, 15 RBI, is 13 of 13 in stolen base attempts and only has struck out seven times in 93 at bats.
“Clarissa has had a tough year but is still hitting the ball well,” said Grace College head coach Nora Reece, referring to some personal situations Knight has dealt with off the diamond. “Her focus has been on the team and not so much on individual stats. She is our number three hitter even when she struggles, and she has earned that. I have a genuine belief to not pull her out of that spot. Her leadership is what makes her so special to this team.
“Her mindset hasn’t been about breaking records, but about helping her team through her play and leadership, That’s what makes her so great.”
Grace is 17-16 overall and 10-8 in the Crossroads League. Knight and the Lancers host St. Francis in a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon.