It was an arm injury, of all things, that convinced Iola High senior Elza Clift that she needed to continue playing softball at the college level.
Clift, a mainstay pitcher for Iola pretty much since the day she stepped on campus as a freshman, signed a letter of intent Wednesday to pitch collegiately at Ottawa University.
She was joined by her family, teammates and other supporters for the ceremony.
The daughter of Iolans Patrick and Sara Clift, Elza selected Ottawa after paying the campus a visit earlier earlier this winter.
“I really loved it,” she said. “That’s when I decided Ottawa was where I needed to be.”
Clift’s softball days date to her time in youth leagues as an 8-year-old.
With her pinpoint control, and a bulldog mentality in the pitcher’s circle, she began her freshman year ready to compete for the role of staff ace.
By the time she was a sophomore, Clift was just that, throwing all but three of more than 120 possible innings for the Mustangs in the spring of 2023.
It was during her junior year that things started to click.
She struck out 87 batters in 75 innings, allowing just 51 hits while compiling a 1.85 ERA.
Meanwhile, Clift locked down the leadoff spot in the Mustang batting order, hitting .365 with four doubles, four triples and two home runs, while driving in 13 and scoring a team-high 43 runs in 28 games.
But a forearm strain midway through the season limited her pitching down the stretch.
“It was after I got hurt that I decided I can’t stop doing this,” Clift said.
Since the injury, Clift has learned pitching techniques to maintain her speed and control with less stress on her arm.
“It feels great now,” she said.
Clift prepares for her senior campaign knowing Iola is loaded with talent up and down the lineup.
“I want to go to state,” she said. “If we all put in the work and try our hardest, we 100% can make it.”
