by Kevin Farrell
SAN ANTONIO — Good things always come in twos and it’s no different for the UTSA softball team.
Kristin and Ashley Kappler are sisters from Lake Jackson and they not only bring energy and charisma to the team, but they also display a wide range of versatility and talent on the field, making them a dangerous Roadrunners duo.
Kristin, a senior third baseman, has put together a very impressive resume during her four years in the Alamo City. This season alone, she is hitting .354 to go along with five home runs and 16 RBIs (all second on the team). One of those five blasts came in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader sweep of Texas Southern.
Ashley, who is a year younger, owns a .265 batting average and she is the fourth-leading hitter for the Roadrunners. A second baseman that displays immense skill and proficiency, she also homered against the Lady Tigers for her third long ball of the spring.
“You just know it’s going out when you hit it and it’s a good feeling,” Ashley said. “The coaches have always told us to go through our regular routine at bat and, when it goes out, it goes out. Today, we were feeling it.”
The duo has played together for 15 years and it definitely shows in their game. It is easy for each to anticipate the other's actions, which makes the UTSA infield a force to be reckoned with.
Another key to success this season has been team chemistry and the Kapplers echoed the thoughts interim head coach Stephanie Hughes before the first pitch in February.
“We’re all so close on this team,” Kristin said. “We’re having so much fun this year that the pressure of this being my last year has been the last thing on my mind. We go out every game with the same goal to win and our team chemistry has been a big factor in our success.”
However, softball isn’t the only thing on their minds.
Kristin is studying kinesiology and she aspires to apply to personal training school, where she will continue her love for athletics and develop a successful life outside of softball.
Ashley, meanwhile, is an education major who hopes to teach elementary school after college. Naturally, she wants to be a softball coach wherever she ends up.
Both Kapplers display a great amount of poise and talent on the field, which has helped them develop into likeable and confident women, both on and off the field.
The pair has contributed a great amount of time and effort into the UTSA softball program and, together, they are the perfect definition of outstanding student-athletes. Their attitudes and skills are contagious attributes to their teammates and those qualities have helped develop the Roadrunners into a contender in the Southland Conference.
With the season past its midway point, the Kapplers are determined to keep the success going and solidify the team's spot in the league standings with the ultimate goal of winning a Southland Championship.
