Staff report

SALISBURY — Catawba College softball’s Kary Hales goes to the plate looking to swing the bat.

Hales, who starred for the Carson Cougars, hasn’t walked in Catawba’s first 14 games, but she also hasn’t struck out. It’s never dull when she steps into the batter’s box. She’s going to put the ball in play somewhere.

Hales is batting .521, a mark which leads the South Atlantic Conference. She has three homers and 16 RBIs.

Hales may be the first person in history to have a higher batting average than on-base percentage. It is mathematically possible to do that because of sacrifice flies (she has three) and sacrifice bunts (she has one).

Hales has had quite a college career with a .384 batting average. She has 19 homers, 41 doubles and 126 RBIs. She’s struck out only 14 times in four seasons.

Catawba (8-6) is putting up impressive numbers in non-conference play.

Brianna Gallagher and Maddy Altiers have hit six homers apiece. That ties them for the SAC lead.

As a team, Catawba is batting .363 with 21 homers and is averaging about 6.5 runs per game.