Ex-Hampton softball star Bella Henzler takes big step forward

When Bella Henzler set a goal of making all-conference in the Sun Belt, the James Madison sophomore had to know the odds were stacked against her.

Of the 278 softball players in the Division I conference, only 15 will earn first-team recognition.

But the former Hampton star made the decision easy.

Taking another step forward from her productive freshman debut, Henzler hit .347 and tied for the team-high with 11 home runs to garner first-team all-Sun Belt honors at catcher in voting by the conference’s 12 coaches.

“It was something that I set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year, and it was very exciting to be able to do that,” she said. “It was an expectation for myself this year.”

Henzler was second in runs scored (41) and batting average for the Dukes (31-22, 12-12 Sun Belt). She added 10 doubles, 30 RBIs and went 6 for 6 in stolen base attempts, while striking out only 17 times in 187 plate appearances.

Behind the plate, she had a .970 fielding percentage with only three passed balls and handled a pitching staff that posted a 3.92 team ERA.

Henzler’s season included a go-ahead homer in a comeback 7-5 win over Marshall and an unforgettable walk-off grand slam in an 8-5 victory over Villanova.

“It went really well,” Henzler said of her season. “As a team, we wanted to compete a little bit more in regionals this year, but overall, for me personally, I had a very successful year.”

JMU defeated Southern Miss, 6-2, in the opening round of the Sun Belt championship in San Marcos, Texas, before suffering a season-ending 8-0 quarterfinal loss to top-seeded Louisiana on May 9.

JMU coach Loren LaPorte said Henzler emerged as an energetic leader.

“She’s very upbeat all the time,” LaPorte said. “I think her energy behind the plate, it’s a position that you’ve got to have it. … She was a leader for us this season, not only at the plate but managing the pitching staff.”

The 5-foot-4 Henzler returned to Hampton after the season and attended her alma mater’s 10-0 no-hitter victory over Blackhawk in the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals on May 22 at North Allegheny. After some downtime, Henzler planned to start her offseason regimen in early June to prepare for her junior season.

One focus will be improving her throws from behind the plate. After throwing out a respectable 10 of 53 would-be base-stealers as a freshman, Henzler caught only one of 55 this past season. As a team, JMU threw out only two of 78 base-stealers, by far the worst mark in the conference.

“That is something that I’m going to really, really hone in on this offseason,” Henzler said. “I need to figure out how to throw the ball a little bit harder, how to be a little more accurate and how to use my body in a different way to make throws depending on where the pitch takes me. I need to be more reactionary and not second-guess myself.”

Few would doubt Henzler’s resolve. She made the President’s List for the first time this spring, carrying a 4.0 GPA while majoring in sports and recreation management with a minor in business.

Her one-out, walk-off grand slam against Villanova on Feb. 16 was among the Dukes’ most dramatic moments. It was her first home run of the season.

“I don’t think I’ve ever hit a grand slam before, let alone hit a walk-off grand slam,” she said. “I will remember that one forever.”

Henzler improved her batting average from .294 to .347 this season and boasted increased power numbers across the board.

“Overall, I just tried to be a more consistent hitter and a more consistent player,” she said. “Every weekend, I really put in the time to figure out how I got myself out and I learned from that. I watched a lot of film and tried to figure out what works well for me.”