GEORGETOWN, Texas — Braylin Pannill likes to hit bombs.
She’s the biggest of home run threats for the potent Georgetown softball lineup. Her crack of the bat is one that causes nightmares for opposing pitchers. She’s had it on repeat this season, leading the team with 14 homers as the Eagles entered their playoff series against Leander.
“It just flows through the bat. I know as soon as I make contact,” said Pannill. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, I know they're gone, but I just don't want to trot right out of the box.”
Pannill is also the most prolific home run hitter in program history. The junior broke the Eagles school record earlier this season.
“I really didn't know I had the record until we put up our career leaderboards,” Pannill said. “Then I found it, and my dad was telling me about how I was close.”
Pannill now stands at 26 homers in just over 70 career games. She’s hit a team-high 14 long balls in 2021.
“I hit one the other day, we just all walked out because we knew it was happening,” Pannill said. “It's just so much fun to contribute to the team by doing big things like that.”
The Eagles are following her lead. Nine players have gone yard for a total of 50 home runs. Depth that’s helped Georgetown advance to the regional finals for the first time since 1994.
“When you play other teams that you can frustrate them, because they pitch around one kid and you are able to turn to somebody else to get the job done,” said Georgetown coach Jessica Bond.
The power surge shouldn’t be a one-year thing either. The Eagles top three sluggers – including Pannill – are all underclassmen.
“It's just pretty cool that the girls have jumped into their roles and took charge of what they're able to do,” Bond said. “Knowing that it doesn't matter what classification they are - freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior - just relying on each other and knowing that they're going to get it done.”
Freshman Madison Hartley is already ahead of Pannill’s record-setting pace, although Pannill’s sophomore season was abbreviated by COVID-19.
“She's coming in and she's like my competition. And I already told her I was like you might beat it,” Panill said.
Along with producing at the plate, Eagles coach Jessica Bond said Pannill’s personality has helped the team stay loose.
“She's usually at the bottom of most of our jokes in the dugout,” Bond said. “She's able to turn it on when it needs to be turned on and also have fun while she's doing it.”
And for Pannill, there’s nothing more fun than hitting a bomb.
“It's not fun unless you're having fun. I like to make things fun no matter what situation I'm in,” Pannill said.