by Matt Wright
In their inaugural season, the Lady Lions softball team have come up just short in a host of games, but Tuesday evening they finally secured their first victory.
In some of the most bizarre weather a game can be played in (72 degrees to start the game, 49 degrees to end it) the Lions held on to a slim one run lead when Lake County popped up to Lions catcher Maci Allen ending the game with the tying run on base. The Lions won 11-10.
Prep was lead by Ava Russian who drilled a ball over the left fielders head in the bottom of the second inning, clearing the bases with a grand slam. Ava did a great job producing runs all day for the Lions batting 2nd in the lineup. She scored every at bat. Defense has also been a strong suit of Ava this season producing a F6, 6-5, 5-4 triple play in a game against West Collierville. For those not familiar with scoring that means Ava caught a line drive at shortstop then she threw to Kayce Childs at 3rd base who then threw to Maci Allen at 2nd base for the 3rd out.
Raeleigh Rusk also did a great job as the lead off hitter against the visiting Lake County Falcons, consistently getting on base for the Lady Lions.
Kayla Taylor provided 3 great innings of pitching, coming into the game with bases loaded and got out of the inning with minimal damage. She also made some great plays fielding her position going 3 up, 3 down in the 3rd inning (a rarity in softball).
The Lions are coached by Candice McGuire and her husband Chris. Those names might ring a bell because the husband and wife team have coached the Lady Lions basketball team since the middle school opened. Coach Candice McGuire did play softball in high school and Coach Chris played baseball in high school and college so they both know the game. However, this is their first time coaching softball so they didn’t know exactly what to expect. “We were just excited to be able to provide these girls the opportunity to play. Being a part of building a program from scratch is a great honor,” Mrs. McGuire said.
Like the baseball team, the softball team does not have a dedicated place to practice, splitting time between the gym and the football field. But even without a facility (which will be ready by 2022), the progress over the course of this first season has been obvious. As Coach McGuire said, “we are so proud to see the growth of each player since the beginning of the season. They are learning more about the game and how to play it each day. Their progress is amazing to witness.”
As the school starts it’s transition to high school athletics, getting these programs started early looks to be a great decision by school officials. I can see Lakeland Prep competing at a high level in both baseball and softball as the high school years approach.
