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HADDON TWP. – It’s a lightning and thunder show that has produced stormy conditions for opposing pitchers this spring.
Meet Jules Jackson and Danielle Audet – the top two hitters in the lineup for the Paul VI High School softball team.
While their styles in the batter’s box couldn't be more different, the tandem’s blend of speed and power has provided plenty of production for the Eagles.
More: Vote for South Jersey's Softball Player of the Week, presented by Atlantic City Electric
Just a freshman, Jackson has quickly become one of the toughest outs in South Jersey thanks to her ability to put the ball in play and her blazing speed.
Jackson entered Monday’s game with an eye-popping .765 batting average. And it's obviously a good season when a hitter goes 2-for-3 and their average drops like Jackson’s did after the 10-0 win over Camden Catholic.
It seems he only way to get Jackson out these days is to make an incredible play on defense. That’s what Camden Catholic centerfielder Megan Donnelly did as she made a diving grab to thwart Jackson in the first inning.
Jackson’s average fell to .759 with 41 knocks and 28 runs scored. She has 15 multi-hit games this season and has only gone hitless once, after a hamstring injury limited her to one at-bat in a game against Shawnee last week.
“I worked hard through the winter to get to this point,” said Jackson, who hails from Woolwich Township. “Getting to the gym, just getting myself stronger and working on fundamentals.”
One of the biggest surprises is that she didn’t start hitting left-handed until two years ago.
A proficient bunter, Jackson has the ability to beat out anything on the ground.
“She can hit it right to the pitcher and be safe, she’s ridiculous,” Audet said.
While her game centers around small ball, Jackson has the ability to turn on pitches with power, too. She has 10 extra-base hits, including four homers.
“She’s absolutely explosive,” Paul VI head coach Ferd Meloni said. “She reads the defense so well and capitalizes on what they give her.
“We always knew she was going to come (into the program) and be our No. 1 hitter and centerfielder. We just wanted her to thrive and that’s what she’s been doing.”
Jackson possesses speed at the top of the lineup, Audet brings plenty of punch in the second spot.
After a two-homer barrage against Southern Regional on Sunday, Audet smacked her team-leading seven round-tripper against Camden Catholic.
Audet, who hails from Lumberton, is batting .500 with 27 hits and 26 RBIs, including 10 in her last three games. She has 15 homers in her three seasons.
“(Danielle’s) approach at the plate is unbelievable,” Meloni said. “It doesn’t matter what the pitching style is, her approach doesn’t change. She stays on top and tries to smash it.
“She’s just so consistent in the box, Miss Consistency.”
Audet says she looks for a certain spot where she can drive the ball and isn’t afraid to ambush a first-pitch strike.
Paul VI improved to 11-5 with the win over its rival from up Cuthbert Boulevard and the squad looks primed to make even more noise as May moves on.
“I always expect big things from this team,” Audet said.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Paul VI softball's Jules Jackson, Danielle Audet is a perfect speed-power combo
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