Since its foundation, the softball program has seen some rare and impressive plays on the field, but there has never been two home runs in one game by the same person- until freshman Danielle Brochu did it.

Playing in its annual tournament at Allen Station, in the first bracket game, Brochu stepped up to bat in the second inning with two outs. The score was 1-0, with Mansfield High School leading by one. Brochu knocked a fastball out of the park over the left field fence, scoring two runs and putting the Lady Leopards in the lead.

“It was my first homerun ever,” Brochu said. “Scoring those runs felt like a big momentum changer. As I hit it and saw that it was going over, I just remember working in the cages the night before and thinking, ‘Wow, that was my first one.’”

Brochu has been playing softball for years, and to finally hit a home run gave her satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

“It felt like an accomplishment to see all the hard work in the cages pay off,” Brochu said.

With a one run lead, the team held Mansfield for two more innings. In the fourth inning, Brochu was up to the plate again with two outs.

“I told her to go back out and hit another one but I didn’t really think she would,” freshman Stephanie Cunningham said. “I mean I knew she could, but I just didn’t really think it was possible.”

Brochu beat all odds, however, by hitting another home run, this time to right field.

“I didn’t see it go over,” Cunningham said. “I was just running because there were two outs. I was very proud of Danielle, I couldn’t believe she hit two in one game.”

Brochu was not anticipating another home run at the plate.

“The second at bat, I was just thinking, ‘try to get a base hit, don’t swing for a home run,’” Brochu said. “I know that you have to be relaxed to hit well; if you are trying to swing for the fences you get tense.”

Brochu was just as surprised as her teammates by the second consecutive home run.

“It’s really rare to repeat, so I didn’t even really think about it happening,” Brochu said. “I was like ‘This isn’t happening.’ It was hard to believe.”

Up by three, the Lady Leopards continued to play strong defense, and won the game 7-2, with the first four runs scored as a result of Brochu’s two homeruns. Brochu is committed to Texas Tech to play softball, but with two homeruns now under her belt, she has a promising four years left in high school ball.

“It gave me more confidence,” she said. “I have a lot of goals to reach before college and that was my first [homerun], so I accomplished that goal. Now it feels like I am actually on my way to accomplishing the others too.”