In the circle, there’s little that Massachusetts softball pitcher Sara Plourde can’t do.

Her numbers speak for themselves. In 28 appearances and 26 starts, the senior right-hander owns an 18-9 record to go along with a 2.29 earned run average and a nation-best 304 strikeouts. She’s also tossed four no-hitters this season, bringing her impressive career total in the department to 13.

The numbers are even more impressive considering the Minutewomen’s reliance on her all season, and the toll its brought on her arm. Since UMass’ 13-5 loss against Northwestern on March 20, the Minutewomen have played in nine games and Plourde has started and gone the distance in each of them as UMass has not seen a different pitcher enter the circle.

Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of St. Bonaventure proves that there are no signs that the reigning national strikeout leader will be slowing down any time soon. She pitched a perfect game – the second of her career – in a Game 1 victory over the Bonnies before taking the rubber again in the next game and delivering yet another complete game gem.

But despite Plourde’s perfection on Sunday, it was a different aspect of her game that turned heads – her batting. She batted fourth in the order in both games of the doubleheader and belted two home runs on the day to help her own cause in the easy sweep of SBU.

In the first game of the day, Plourde came to the plate with two runners on in the second inning and crushed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for a three-run blast. That concluded a six-run inning in which UMass opened a 7-0 lead, which was more than enough insureance for Plourde on the mound.

In the second game, she was back at it again as part of a monster first inning for the Minutewomen. After Cyndil Matthew and Quianna Diaz-Patterson reached and Katie Bettencourt struck out, Plourde stepped into the batter’s box. She wasted no time again, unleashing on Bonnies pitcher Jen Sansano’s first offering and sending it over the wall for another three-run homer. UMass went on to score three more runs in the inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead that SBU never came close to matching.

“It feels great,” Plourde told UMassAthletics.com following the pair of victories. “To be able to help the team out offensively too, I love it. I love every aspect of the game so I’m really glad I can be a part of that.”

Plourde’s presence at the plate has been a pleasant surprise for the Minutewomen this season.

In three previous seasons with the team, she never hit a home run, had just five RBIs and posted a dismal .186 career average in 43 plate appearances.

It seemed like her lack of offensive productivity would continue in 2012 as UMass coach Elaine Sortino opted to keep the batting gloves and helmet off of her star pitcher until March 19, when Plourde got her first at-bat against South Florida. The next day against the Wildcats, Sortino plugged her into the lineup again and it paid off as she hit an RBI double.

Plourde hit her first two career home runs in a doubleheader against Saint Louis on March 25 and has been on a tear ever since.

She now leads the team in round-trippers with five despite a team-low 32 plate appearances among every day starters. She’s also second on the team with a .344 batting average and leads the team with a .844 slugging percentage. She had a seven-game hitting streak that ended last Thursday at Boston College, but showed no lingering effects with her offensive explosion on Sunday.

With most of its offensive core returning this year as well as the return of Bettencourt and the emergence of freshman Diaz-Patterson, it was questionable if UMass would ever look to Plourde as an offensive threat.

Known throughout her career as one of the most dominant pitchers in the country, it seems like Plourde isn’t satisfied with all of the accolades that have come with it. While it’s not for certain that she’ll ever be as productive at the plate as she is on the mound, it is certainly at least another step ‘forward as UMass enters its home stretch and pursuit of another Atlantic 10 championship.

Stephen Hewitt can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Hewitt.