Baylor junior leadoff hitter and left-fielder Olivia Elkhill knows only one mode on the softball diamond: go hard.
So when legendary Red Raiders head coach Kelli Smith asked Elkhill last month to shut things down for four weeks to rest her body, the wait was painfully tough for the fiery competitor.
“I have been injured for a while now,” Elkhill said. “It has been two years on and off. I am currently playing with stress fractures in my legs and that’s why they take me out when we are up big in the last inning.
“To be able to go out there and play again in the crucial moments of the season means the world to me. I treat these moments as an opportunity to give everything I’ve got for my girls and to help us win.”
Elkhill delivers big for Baylor softball while playing through injuries
This past weekend, Baylor (20-9-1) was in unfamiliar territory after being shut out 2-0 in the opening game of the Division II-AA state quarterfinals at home against Tipton-Rosemark.