Loveland softball’s Laurin Krings begins the year with a perfect game, and three home runs in two games
Loveland’s Laurin Krings looks every bit of the reigning player of the year she is in softball.
The senior tossed a seven-inning perfect game to help her fourth-ranked team open the season with a 4-0 win over No. 8 Cherry Creek on Friday morning, striking out 19 of the 21 batters she faced. She also homered and had two RBIs.
Then, in an afternoon contest against Regis Jesuit, which Loveland won 12-0, Krings hit two homers and drove in four runs. She also allowed just four hits in four innings, striking out nine against one walk.
In all, here was Krings’ first day of the 2019 season: 28 strikeouts, one perfect game, three home runs and six RBIs.
She is now the state leader in slugging percentage (2.400) and her three home runs are tied for the state lead. In addition, Krings has struck out 76% of the batters she has faced so far this season.
Prior to the season, at Fall Sports Media Day, Krings — a University of Missouri recruit — talked about her final year of playing high school softball.
“The feeling is, this is your last year playing high school, put it all out there,” she said. “It’s going to be hard leaving high school. I’m going to be leaving all my friends. I’ve played with my catcher for eight years, now, we’ve been together. It’s going to be really emotional, but it’s going to be really fun at the same time.”
Krings was named the player of the year in Class 5A last season as part of the all-state teams, and was also named the Gatorade player of the year for the state.
Last season, she led the state with 392 strikeouts — more than 135 more than the next closest player — as well as a 0.65 ERA, allowing just 18 earned runs in 193 innings pitched. Her 22 wins were also the most of any pitcher.
Oh yeah, she also threw three no-hitters, including two perfect games, and had seven one-hit games.
Krings was also second in the state in home runs (15) and had 48 RBIs last season.
