BILLINGS — Billings Senior’s softball girls are out to a great start this season, especially offensively.
Showcasing a roster full of talent, it’s a true pick-your-poison situation for opponents — with star power ranging from dynamic twin seniors Viennah and Octavia Meyer to impressive freshman Braella Jennings, the team's RBI leader.
The Meyer twins, who know what it’s like to be nervous freshmen on a state title team, are appreciating their chance to guide the next generation.
"Yeah, I was nervous. I just thought that I had a lot of people to prove (my skill set) to," Viennah admitted, recalling her own freshman jitters.
The twins can relate to Jennings, who’s blasting pitches more like a seasoned veteran.
"She doesn’t actually play like a freshman. She’s like, a senior to me," Octavia said.
And with good reason. While the Meyer twins are crushing it in everything from batting average and on-base percentage, to hits and home runs, the freshman actually leads Senior in RBIs with 29 — more than a lot of high school players hope for in an entire season.
“I feel like I have faster hands, so I try to stay at the top … like the front of the (batter’s) box so I can hit it better. Because when I’m back there it’s like (the pitch) travels to me more and I have to think about it,” Jennings explained to MTN Sports before a recent practice.
The Eastern AA-leading Broncs (10-3, 6-1) are primed to host Thursday's 3 p.m. showdown against Billings West (7-3, 4-2) in their first clash of the season at Central Park.
Jennings' athleticism comes as no surprise, especially in softball where excellence runs in the family. Her mom, who some might remember as Melissa Dillon, hit bombs for Senior just over 20 years ago, and also celebrated a state title with those Broncs. Melissa was an infielder just like Braella, who’ll likely shift seamlessly from second base to shortstop next season after Viennah graduates.
"She reminds me a lot of myself because when I was a freshman, I would always get mad at myself when I would do something wrong, and she does the same thing," Viennah said. "So, I try to help her. ... Yeah, she has a lot of potential."
And confidence in clutch situations. If you can’t score, you can’t win.
“It’s really actually helpful and nice because we always have people on base, and she hits them in,” Octavia said.
As if that wasn’t enough, Braella balances her athletic prowess with academic excellence, taking honors classes, plus ranks second on the team in home runs (6). And when we asked if there was anything else this multi-talented freshman could do, she spilled with laughter and said, "Actually, I do play the harmonica. Yeah, I got it for Christmas."
There you have it — harmony both on and off the field.
