Gigi Braga had no plans to play high school softball.
But in the midst of her sophomore year, her digital media teacher at Medford High, Jack Dempsey made a pitch for Braga to join the softball program, where he is the varsity coach.
“He asked me, ‘do you know how to slap the ball?’” recalled Braga.
“I hadn’t touched a bat since I was seven or eight, and I told him that. He said, ‘that doesn’t matter, you’re fast, that’s the key. I’ll turn you into a slap hitter.’”
Her sophomore year, Braga was strictly a slap hitter while starting in center field.
She is the starting third baseman for a Mustang squad coming off a trip to the Division 1 North semifinals. With Braga and fellow senior Renée Staude, the team’s starting second baseman, forming a potent 1-2 punch at the top of the order, ‘slapping’ has become second nature.
Braga sets up in the back of the left-handed batter’s box, her hands choked up a little extra on the bat and her right hip angled ever so slightly toward the third baseline. As the pitcher begins her windup, before the ball has even left her hand, Braga makes her move. Her right foot swings back as her left goes up and over, creating a wave of forward momentum. By the time her bat connects with the top of the ball and heads towards the left side of the field, she’s already on her way to first base.
“A lot of it is in your hips and the way they’re angled,” Braga said. “If you take care of the contact, your hips take care of the direction the ball goes.”
For many of the region’s top hitters, slapping provides an extra dimension that boosts plate presence and keeps fielders on their toes. When executed correctly, it’s nearly impossible to defend, leaving players like Braga and Staude a few steps ahead.
Dempsey has taught slapping since he was hired eight years ago. The Mustangs have become synonymous with the strategy ever since, drawing particular attention from foes.
“Even if they have an idea that I’m going to slap, they can’t know whether I’m going for power or for small-ball,” Staude said.
The captain is able to slap for light contact, similar to a drag bunt, or for sharp line drives over the heads of infielders and outfielders.
“It allows me to play the defense, rather than the defense playing me.”
At Methuen High, junior Coralie Mathieu is the authority on slapping. With the graduation of 10 seniors, seven of whom were starters, coach Jason Smith’s squad is depending on high production from players such as Mathieu that have varsity experience. The center fielder’s versatility at the plate puts her in a good position to be a spark.
“Coralie is fortunate because she’s really good at swinging away,” Smith said.
“I know there’s girls that exclusively slap but she just pulls it out in certain situations and catches a lot of defenders off guard.”
In a single at-bat, Smith can relay signals for Mathieu to bunt, hit, slap bunt or slap hit. The variety not only equips her with more means to reach base safely, but also prevents defenders from moving in or out, according to tendencies.
Slapping in particular brings success more often than not.
“When you’re in a normal stance, you’re forced to wait for the ball,” Mathieu said.
“With slapping, you’re moving towards the pitcher and attacking the ball. In that sense, I’m more confident in making contact.”
With contact, hits often follow. The fluid motion exponentially cuts down on the time for infielders and outfielders to make a play.
“There’s no pause,” Mathieu said.
“You’re already running at the time of contact. That jump is the key to slapping.”
Though Mathieu is a natural lefty — making her a prime candidate for slapping — many right-handed hitters switch over to the other side of the plate to add slapping to thier arsenal.
When Marissa Doherty learned to slap for Tewksbury High, she was strictly a righthanded bat. Practicing the craft allowed her to develop authority as a lefty.
“Slapping gives me more confidence in making contact because I’m attacking the ball,” Doherty said.
“I was able to learn to swing lefty, and now it just feels weird any other way.”
Now the junior center fielder only hits from the left side. And she has learned to swing away more, so she is able to mask her plans until it’s almost too late for opponents.
“There’s only so much deception you can get away with, but sometimes I’ll try to delay my motion until the pitch is released,” Doherty said.
“They see a small, quick lefty so they expect it fairly often, and that’s when I like to catch them off guard and really power through it.”
With the extra versatility and high success rates at the plate that come with learning to slap hit, why aren’t more batters following suit?
According to Dempsey, the ability requires more than just a quick bat.
“You need to be fast and able to make the most out of that advantage of a few steps,” Dempsey said.
“It’s deceiving, but good defenses can recover quickly.”
Added Braga, “It comes down to self-discipline.
“It’s an unnatural motion, so your mind and body have to be completely focused. When you get enough repetition with it from there, it eventually becomes habitual. Plus, that self-discipline lends itself to the rest of your actions on the field.”
Base hits
Five high school softball programs to watch this season. (Final 2015 record listed):
■ Amesbury (21-3) : If the Indians are to repeat as Division 3 North champions, they will will lean on their sophomore battery of pitcher Hayley Catania and catcher Caitlyn Baker amongst what assistant-turned-head coach Jackie Waters refers to as a senior-laden squad.
■ Medford (17-8) : Senior Ashley Eisnor is the leader in the circle and at the plate; she compiled a 1.06 earned run average with a .484 batting average last spring. “She’s the glue that holds our team together, and she’s accomplished so much,” said coach Jack Dempsey .
■ Methuen (21-4) : Senior Kathleen LeFebre is the anchor behind the plate and in the lineup for the defending Division 1 North champions.
■ Reading (22-4) : The Division 2 state finalists are eyeing another strong showing despite the graduation of ace Michaela Reeves (now at Simmons College). Coach Jill McElroy expects strong play and leadership from junior shortstop and captain Julia McGurn. “Her position dictates how well the whole defense will run,” McElroy said.
■ Tewksbury (12-11) : The Redmen only have 12 players on the roster, but senior co-captains Nora Butler (shortstop) and Kristen Dick (third baseman) have coach Leo DiRocco’s team primed to improve upon last year’s Division 2 North semifinal finish.
Ethan Schroeder can be reached at ethan.schroeder@globe.com.