WASHINGTON, D.C. (BVM) — Although not the most important body part for a pitcher, the legs are still key in the pitching motion. An injury to the arms is far more common, but an injury to the lower limbs could be equally devastating.

In 2020, Geroge Washington softball pitcher Sierra Lange suffered a torn ACL and partial meniscus tear, causing her to miss the entire season. 

The road to recovery was a long one, with Lange unable to walk for 5-6 weeks after the surgery to repair her knee.

Months later, the impacts of the injury still lingered as Lange attempted to return to the mound.

“It was definitely harder to get back into it.” said Lange. “I felt like I really had to start over.” 

Getting over the fear of reinjury was not easy for Lange, especially as her upper body continued to be in good condition to pitch. The main problem wasn’t pain or discomfort from the injury, it was the fear of aggravating the ACL tear.

“It was all about getting over the fear of reinjuring. The leg I land on is the one I hurt,” said Lange.

Thankfully, her teammates knew exactly what she was going through.  Designated hitter and first baseman Alessandra Ponce suffered an ACL tear earlier in her career as a Colonial, and her recovery process was what brought Lange and Ponce together as friends.

Years later, the roles were switched, and it was Ponce supporting Lange through her recovery. 

“Ponce tore her ACL and helping her practice sliding helped grow our friendship,” said Lange. “She did the same for me as we did for her.”

Thanks to the support of her teammates, Lange had an outstanding return in 2021. Posting a 21-10 record, Lange threw 201 strikeouts, first in the Atlantic 10 and 26th in the country. 

Her 20 complete games and 179.1 innings pitched also topped the division. Lange matched the high usage rate with a 1.80 earned run average, continuing her dominance despite carrying an extremely heavy workload for a post-injury season.

Lange kept opposing batters silent all season long, highlighted by throwing her first career no-hitter on April 17 at St. Joseph’s University.

When asked about what throwing a no-hitter felt like, Lange immediately began to praise her teammates who had been there for her all the way during her recovery. 

“My defense really had my back,” said Lange. “You can’t get a no-hitter without an amazing defense behind you.” 

Additionally, Lange praised the pitch calling from her catcher Jessia Linquist, humbly describing her feat as a team effort.

Together, Lange and the Colonials brought George Washington University to their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the Baton Rouge Regionals. 

Lange, who’s played in front of large audiences before as a member of the Philippines national team, couldn’t find words to describe how taking the mound in the Regionals felt.

“There is something special about those games.” said Lange “It’s a totally different atmosphere. Having to go to Baton Rouge and play at a large stadium with fans there, I felt so much adrenaline. I can’t even explain it.”

The Colonials were left winless in the double elimination tournament, falling to Louisiana 0-1 in an 11-inning thriller, and losing to McNeese State 0-12. 

Lange made it clear that the Colonials would be back in the NCAA tournament next year, and it would be more than a winless appearance.

“We want to make it to regionals and make it far,” said Lange. “We want to actually compete in regionals. We don’t want to just be there as the underdog.”

The Colonials will attempt to win the A-10 Championship again in 2022, albeit with a different team.

NFCA All-American Jenna Cone has graduated and now will be an assistant coach at Eastern Carolina University. She leaves George Washington for Eastern Carolina alongside former coach Shane Winkler, who left the Colonials for the Pirates in May.

The departure of Winkler has been especially impactful on Lange and her teammates, with the team still coachless now in July.

“It’s obviously a little stressful, but we’re having meeting calls every two weeks, and they’re [George Washington Athletics] keeping us updated,” said Lange. “They ask for our input and really take the steps to understand what we need.”

Regardless of who’s coaching the team, the Colonials still have an extremely talented roster leading them into the coming season.

With Lange leading the way, George Washington University is set to continue their rise in 2022.

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