Calah Savage put in some work on the softball field during her spring break, and it was some of her best yet.

The new Duke Automotive-Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week played a key role in helping the Nansemond River High School Lady Warriors go 3-0 in the Grand Strand Softball Classic in South Carolina during the week of March 27.

In a 6-0 victory over South Lenoir High School of Deep Run, N.C., on March 28, Savage hit a two-run homer run. In the Lady Warriors’ 12-1 win on March 29 against Kenston Forest School, she hit another two-run homer.

On March 30, the senior catcher hit a key single to help push Nansemond River to a 6-4 victory over Honaker High School in a game that went to nine innings.

Savage has been preparing herself for a high level of play, but it still caught her a bit by surprise.

“I was shocked, myself, but I was really happy the way I was hitting,” she said. “I’ve worked so hard to get where I am now.”

“Practicing on my own time does a lot of good for me,” she added.

Savage’s heroics in South Carolina did not seem to take Lady Warriors coach Gabe Rogers by surprise.

“It’s Calah to a tee,” he said of her play. “She’s very comfortable at the plate. She puts in a lot of time on hitting, and it shows.”

Earlier this year, she made formal her commitment to play college softball at Christopher Newport University during a signing ceremony.

Rogers said he thinks Savage has been able to simply play for the fun of the game again now that the college decision is behind her.

He noted she is a vocally quiet member of the team but pointed to the remarkable quality of her play, which is a strong model for her teammates to follow.

“She’s just consistent in everything that she does,” Rogers said. “She’s been our most consistent hitter this year.”

Savage has found the biggest barrier to such success in softball is a mental one.

“It’s like a game versus yourself most of the time,” she said. “I think the most challenging thing is to keep your head right mentally and to stop thinking all the time — just play the game you love.”

And Savage does have a favorite part of this game she loves.

“I love hitting home runs,” she said. “It doesn’t happen a lot, and when it does, it’s the best feeling ever. That’s my favorite part.”

Hitting home runs as a Lady Warrior has been a recent product of her hard work. She hit the first homer of her four-year varsity high school career on March 24 at Indian River High School, and she has three home runs so far this season.

For this explosiveness in her senior campaign, she said, “I’d like to credit Coach Gabe for his incredible hitting technique. His comments to me really helped me become a better hitter.”