As freshman varsity softball player Meghan Perkins stole second base in her game April 14, she slid in with her left leg forward, hitting the shortstop on the opposing team.

Perkins said she broke the tibia and fibula in her left leg and needed surgery.

“During my surgery they put a rod in my tibia to straighten it out so it could be aligned properly and heal,” Perkins said. “I have two screws in the upper part of the bar and two screws by my ankle or the lower part of the bar inside my bone.”

Perkins said she is out for the season but is trying to regain her strength, and will recover at the earliest by the end of August, when she will be able to run again.

“I go to physical therapy three times a week at the U of M or Park Nicollet,” Perkins said. “I regain strength in my leg and work on the muscles in my lower leg and ankle.”

Head coach Al Wachutka said Perkins’ injury had a negative effect on the team’s performance in its game.

“In the game in which her injury hap-

pened, we were very flat afterward. We did not compete very well and people felt bad for her injury so we displaced our competi- tive edge,” Wachutka said.

Wachutka said Perkins’ absence creates a loss of speed on the base paths, but the team can still have a prosperous season without her if they work together.

“The team understands that if we con- tinue to play as a team, regardless of who the nine individuals are on the field, we can be successful,” Wachutka said.

Perkins said even though she is upset she cannot play this season, she hopes her absence opens new doors for other players.

“The team (shifts players) which gives other players the opportunity to play left field, which is my position,” Perkins said. “(My absence) gives freshmen and JV players the opportunity to play up.”

Perkins said her injury affects her high school softball career negatively by hold- ing her back from training and improving.

“This is definitely a step back because before the season I was working on a dif- ferent way of hitting to try to break old habits, and now that I can’t play anymore, next season I will probably start with the same old habits,” Perkins said.

Wachutka said Perkins continues to show her support for the team through her appearances at home games.