COLLEGE SOFTBALL: WORTH THE WAIT: HORSEHEADS GRAD RICHMOND TAKES ADVANTAGE OF INCREASED ROLE WITH HUGE SEASON FOR BINGHAMTON (2022-04-22)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
Sometimes a player comes into college and stars from day one. For others it can take some time to find their role.

For Horseheads graduate Alli Richmond it took some time to earn a big-time role at the college level, but now she’s making the most of her opportunity for the Binghamton University softball team.

In her first three years in college, one of them shortened by Covid, Richmond had 12 starts and no extra base hits at the collegiate level.

This year, Richmond has a .291 average and she sits second in the America East Conference with 12 doubles.

Richmond, who had six hits in her first three years in college, has 30 hits this year, 13th most in the conference.

“It’s definitely exciting being able to produce for my team,” Richmond said. “Being a bench player, or a starter, you have a mindset to go in anytime and trust the training. It’s been great having more of a role on the team and it’s great seeing teammates mindsets to do what they can do to help us pull through close games and get some wins.

“A lot of it can be credited to our coaching staff. We had a new hitting coach. We worked on our confidence, consistency. It’s definitely been great to see the transition from technical work in the fall and seeing it come alive. I’m definitely proud of what my team and I have been doing at the plate. There is always more stuff to work on. Getting barrels on the ball in every situation with two strike counts, we are still working on that and it’s awesome to see what we can do.”

For Richmond it is kind of fun to see her name near the top of the America East Leaderboard, but what’s more special is being able to help the Bearcats win games.

“It’s pretty cool,” Richmond said of seeing her name on the leaderboard. “It’s cool to see. Just knowing I was able to help my team during those at-bats, some extra base hits, some RBI. My approach at the plate, doing whatever I can in that moment has been cool to see. Not only my name, but my teammates names as well. I’m not focused on stats, but it is cool to see where we rank in those situations, but the one (stat) I’m most focused on is the team one (wins).”

Through three years Richmond had 36 at-bats. She didn’t have a regular chance to be in the lineup every day, which often can help athletes gain a rhythm at the plate.

While some athletes would be bothered by having to wait their turn, Richmond went to work. She focused on getting better and now she’s in a starring role for the Bearcats.

Richmond hopes that some younger players can see her path and learn that you should always keep working hard, and you can make an impact on the team no matter what your role is.

“I hope so, the one message I want to portray to young female athletes is keep working hard,” Richmond said. “Even if you are not on the field there are so many ways you can help the team. If you keep working hard when you do get on the field you can make an impact. Keep working hard and know eventually you will get a chance.

“It’s a great message I hope to be portraying to kids. When I was that age I was looking up to girls at the collegiate level and to be in that position now is crazy. For girls in Section 4, seeing the athletes of my age, a little older, a little younger and seeing their great success is awesome. It shows how great Section 4 is.”

While it can be hard not starting all the time, Richmond knows that having the right mindset is key.

“You just never know what’s going to happen or when your name is going to be called, when you are needed” Richmond said. “Mindset is a huge thing, even more so at the collegiate level. When you get to college everyone has accolades, everyone is really good. The one thing you can control is your attitude and your work ethic. Even on days you struggle you can work on your attitude and work ethic. If I wasn’t on the field I was working hard to make the players on the field better.”

It does help a player get more comfortable at the plate when they play every day, as Richmond is now. But, it also helps when you have a lineup full of good hitters.

Richmond has a teammate, Alayna Harbaugh, who is hitting .350 this year with 35 hits and Makayla Alvarez is hitting .292 with eight doubles. The team also has Sarah Rende, with four home runs, and Chloe Morgan (21 hits) gives the team four players with 20 plus hits this year.

“It definitely is easier to get into a rhythm when you are having more at bats,” Richmond said. “All my teammates work hard in practice. If I am not going to get the job done, someone else will. If we get out, hey I know you have my back and will go get it. It allows me to put less pressure on myself. If in this instance I don’t get a base hit, everyone will do the best they can to work for the person behind them.

“It just makes it a lot more comfortable in the box as a hitter knowing your team has your back. We do a lot of work with runners in scoring position and how that changes your approach. With a runner on third, not hitting for power, trying to hit to the right side. We all have that mindset that even if it wasn’t the best hit of your life, if it scores the run, that’s great. WE sometimes get more excited for team first at-bats then we do for doubles off the wall.”

Richmond feels like everyone in the Bearcats lineup is capable of producing this year.

“I don’t think there is really a hole in our lineup,” Richmond said. “1-9 even depth on the bench, we have people coming in and looking to hit. We even have seen games this year with people coming off the bench and seeing success. Starting or not the people on our bench right now are locked in every second of the game. That’s definitely a game-changer for us.”

The Bearcats are heading into the heart of their conference schedule right now and Richmond feels like the team has the potential to have success in the league.

“I am really proud of our team and the mindset we have,” Richmond said. “There have been some games we wish had turned out differently, even after the tough games, we took them as learning moments.

“We just started this past weekend (April 9) conference games. The most important part of our season is we have to show up every game and compete every single pitch. One pitch, one inning at a time, just competing and playing how we know how to play.”

For Richmond it’s crazy to think that she’s a senior this year, though she plans to use her Covid year next season and come back for another year.

“It is crazy,” Richmond said. “I just started my MBA this semester will be back next year. The years fly by. It’s so true you have to appreciate every second with your team. It’s so important to take it all in and learn as much as you can. It’s been some of the most influential years of my life. It’s just crazy I only have a month left (this season). I’m super excited for the next month.

“We all try and not to think about it (the end of senior year) unit it happens. It definitely is bitter sweet. It is crazy now being a senior. There are more new girls than girls I cam in with now. We really do have a special group of people who I am blessed to have an opportunity to be around. I will miss the ones that move on next year. I can confidently say with all of them it won’t be the last time I am talking to them. We are going to have a bond for life, how can you not after you go through seeing each other every day.”

For Richmond it isn’t hitting her that she’s getting later in her career, but she knows next year it will all set in.

“Honestly, things have been so crazy, I haven’t thought about it,” Richmond said. “I am sure it will hit me more next fall when I experience more of my lasts. I am trying to focus on this year and conference play.”
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IN PHOTO: Horseheads graduate Alli Richmond reaches second base after an RBI double against UMass Lowell earlier this month. . . PHOTO COURTESY OF BINGHAMTON ATHLETICS/CHRIS AUREILO