When Karleigh Donovan’s Longwood University softball career ends at the conclusion of the 2019 season, she will leave behind a legacy of outstanding clutch play at the plate and leadership in the field.

Now a redshirt senior, she started strong with the Lancers as a redshirt freshman but had a rough regular season as a redshirt sophomore, struggling at the plate. She rebounded to have great performances in the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament and has never repeated the struggled of that second season with Longwood.

Donovan said what has helped her avoid a slump since has been “coming out on my own and doing more to be more consistent. Coach (Kathy) Riley always has harped on us that the practice that we do is never really enough. If you really want to be good, you have to come out and work on your own and work on your weaknesses that you know that you have, and I have stepped it up a lot the last two years to do more on my own so that I can help my team out a little bit.”

Through 53 games this season, Donovan leads the Lancers (34-19) with a .323 batting average and is second on the team with 52 hits.

Some of her hits have come at the key moment at the end of a game, leading directly to victory. Donovan has never really shied away from these moments.

“Oh, yeah, I crave to be in moments like that, because I do so well under pressure like that,” she said. “And I know there’s been a couple times this year where I obviously could have performed a little better under pressure, but usually I do like to be put in those situations because it’s just, I don’t know, I don’t know why I like it. It’s weird, because some people don’t like that being-in-the-spotlight-type thing, but I like it.”

Head Coach Kathy Riley has come to expect big things from Donovan in those moments.

“If you think hitting alone by itself is a 3-out-of-10 success rate, I think she hits higher than that when the game’s on the line,” the coach said. “… She definitely is a clutch player when the most critical times come.”

Donovan’s collegiate softball career is drawing to a close, but she may not be done with softball. She has a standing offer to play professionally. She noted it is an opportunity she may have to defer until next year, though, as she already has a job lined up.

Preparing to graduate with a degree in sociology, Donovan will be taking a position as an autistic instructor in Rockville, Maryland.